


Where There is Light

by Cokecaine



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Comedy, Drama, F/M, Fluff, High School, Idols, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-02-24 15:41:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 31,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22060363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cokecaine/pseuds/Cokecaine
Summary: “Where there is light, there must be shadow, where there is shadow there must be light.” The students of Karasuno High lose their minds when they find out the center of the hottest idol group in Japan is enrolling in their school. Until when will Tobio stay unbothered by all the crises?
Relationships: Kageyama Tobio/Original Female Character(s), Oikawa Tooru/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 25





	1. The King and the Star

The only reason Tobio entered Karasuno High was that he failed to get into Shiratorizawa Academy.

"Is that true Hirose Akari is going to the same school as us?"

"Hirose Akari? You mean Akari-chan? The center of Pink Panthers? What in the world! Why would someone as famous as her enroll in a school like Karasuno?"

He could care less about others' reasons for admission—let alone an idol group member. He never paid attention to any idol groups in general, needless to say.

Nevertheless, the Pink Panthers was the hottest girl group in Japan right now. Their latest song was a huge hit. Everyone on the streets was humming to it. Their music videos were played regularly on every display of electronic stores. Gagmen loved to parody them on their shows because the mentions of their name would bring in high ratings. Children were never tired of covering their songs on the school talent shows.

Some people believed the success the five ladies of Pink Panthers achieved was backed by the hard work of their center. But, _what does the center of an idol group exactly do?_ As the name suggests, the center is a member who is always positioned in the middle during the promotions or even photoshoots. Hence, the public recognizes them the most, opportunities coming to them first as often as not.

As much as Tobio had seen Akari and the other girls appeared on TV, it didn't move his icy heart a bit. He was a resolute man. Once he disliked something, he wouldn't bother giving it another chance.

The vice-principal was confidently fixing his wig at the side of the stage, indicating the opening ceremony would be starting soon. Yet, a couple of male students behind him refused to seal their mouths.

"Have you seen her yet? She couldn't be absent on the first day of school, right?"

"Oh, look! There she is! Surrounded by girls." The other student pointed at a girl with long golden-brown hair. Even if she was amid the crowd and wearing the same school uniform as everyone else, there was still something about her that made her stand out.

"We are so blessed… To be able to breathe in the same air as her… and to watch her beauty at a distance this close…"

The vice-principal tapped the microphone before delivering the speech nobody would hear again in their spare time.

As soon as the opening ceremony had come to an end, the freshmen were sent to their respective classes to attend the homeroom. Coincidentally or not, Tobio was placed in the same class as the most talked-about female student of his batch. Should he be excited about it? _Nah._

The other reason Tobio went into Karasuno High was because of the legendary Coach Ukai. Coach Ukai wasn't just your ordinary loud geezer. He was the man who brought the unknown Karasuno's volleyball team to the nationals. However, Karasuno was named as 'the Fallen Champion' as soon as Coach Ukai retired. Having said that, Tobio heard somewhere that Coach Ukai had come back from his retirement last year, hence he registered for Karasuno High.

Although he didn't pass Shiratorizawa's entrance exams, applying for Aoba Johsai was a form of last resort he wouldn't consider. _Why so?_ Because a few of his former teammates from Kitagawa Daiichi also went there. The teammates he used to put his trust in, and the very same teammates who had broken his trust.

"I want you to introduce yourselves to your new classmates. State your name, middle school, and motives." Their homeroom teacher came up with the most overused method to break the ice. "Okay, we'll start with the sweet-looking girl on the left!"

Halfway through the introduction, Akari's turn almost arrived and everybody else in the room seemed to look forward to it. For someone who had spent a long time under the limelight, she seemed to have not been fed up with being at the center of attention as she took a seat in the middle row on purpose.

Everyone didn't make a sound when it was finally her turn to speak, gazes directed at her, anticipating. "My name is Hirose Akari. I was homeschooled due to my hectic schedules. My older sister and brother used to go to Karasuno High as well, so they kinda lured me into it." Her voice was soft enough to put you to sleep but clear enough to draw your attention. "It's nice to meet you, everyone! I hope we all can get along well."

"Oh, seems like it's true that she used to live here in Miyagi before moving to Tokyo." A student who sat in front of Tobio whispered to his friend. "I just googled her."

"She'll be staying here at least until she graduates, right?" The other student wondered. "Wait, does that mean she'll be taking a break from the showbiz?"

After a long wait, Tobio's turn had eventually come. He couldn't wait to present himself formally to the class so that they all could get over with the silly introduction part and move forward to the next session.

He stood up tall, eyes set to the front. "Kageyama Tobio. Kitagawa Daiichi Middle School. Volleyball."

"Hey, it's _him_! The King of the Court." One of his classmates muttered a nickname he was sensitive to. "What?" The guy turned to Tobio as his glare pierced through the airs and graces.

_He doesn't seem to know._ Tobio heaved a sigh.

People would think 'the King of the Court' was an honorable title. But _no_ , it was not. It was a nickname given by his previous teammates as a result of his dictator demeanor.

The only thing that the title had brought to him was a disgrace, after all.

"No fighting, okay, guys?" The teacher gazed around. "Shall we continue?"

The homeroom resumed.

It was the first time he ever saw Akari in person. No one would have guessed it could also be the last of her attendance.

"Akari-chan isn't coming to school again, huh?"

"Beats me," his friend shrugged. "I see her on TV more often than I see her at school."

"And I thought she would start focusing on her education…. At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if she called it quits one of these days."

"What did you expect from a celebrity?" He complained, letting out a sigh. "It must be nice to be as famous as her… while we will be stuck in this rotten place for the upcoming years."

The next class was English, a subject Tobio took no interest in at all. He currently resides in Japan and did not have any plans to move abroad, so he didn't regard English as of importance. At the end of the class, Minaho-sensei, the English teacher told the students to form a group of two so that she could assign them a group project that would be due next week.

Tobio hated it when a group project was announced. Everyone would exchange hopeful glances with their partners, leaving him all alone since he didn't have anyone he socialized with on a daily basis, apart from the volleyball club's members.

"Has anyone paired up with Akari-chan yet?" Asked one of his classmates.

"Um, I'm afraid no. Didn't you agree to team up with Watanabe? I saw him approach you earlier."

"Yes, that's why I'm asking. Come on, guys! A chance like this won't come by twice in life! You don't get to be in the same class as an idol and work together with her every day!"

"Not to break this to you, but Akari-chan goes overseas _a lot._ You'll end up doing the whole group project alone. Are you sure you still want it?"

"You've… got a point." The other guy admitted defeat. "Then the smart guys should take her in! Since Akari-chan deserves the best."

"You just don't get it, do you?" His friend hit him in the head. "Smart students rather work alone than work together with someone who will not benefit them."

The class representative moved to the front of the class, "Is there any of you who still hasn't found a partner? I noticed the number of attendees today is odd numbers."

Tobio raised his hand, "Excuse me, I haven't found a partner yet."

"Kageyama, isn't it? You'll be teaming up with Hirose-san then. Are you okay with that?"

He was left with no option but to agree. He nodded, "Fine by me."

"That lucky bastard… Of course, he'll be okay!"

" _We_ 're not okay, though."

The following day, the news about one of the Pink Panthers' members parting ways due to personal issues was dropped and it had been the talk of the town since then.

"Have you heard? Yua-chan left the Pink Panthers!" Exclaimed one of the girls in Tobio's class as she stepped into the classroom in the morning. "I can't believe it! Their music only started to grow on me recently and I already have to experience a member leaving! Isn't the Pink Panthers doing so well these days?"

"Good for her. She's better off without them anyway. After all, she's the only one in the group who can actually sing! Unlike a _particular_ member who only relies on her looks. _Ooops_."

But then, another girl jumped in. "Well, I can't deny that. She's pretty and all, but that's all she got, you know? She's been caught lip-syncing too many times, her dance is also mediocre, and her acting… don't get me started with her acting! It's just so… cringe-worthy. I wonder how she still manages to get all the gigs by herself?"

"I heard from an insider that her boss made her sleep her way to the top… so, you know the answer already."

" _What_? Isn't she still a minor? Ew, gross!"

"Not only that, but I also heard the other members of the Pink Panthers are not on good terms with _her_ because she's just too greedy for the spotlight. It must be the reason why Yua decided to leave the group…"

The first girl gave a confused look, "Um, guys? Who are we talking about right now? I'm a bit lost."

"It's Akari, of course!" The other girl shouted, attracting the entire class's attention. "What? It's not like she's going to appear any minute now—"

As if she'd been cued in, Akari entered the class at the wrong time. A faint smile rolled over her lips, "Good morning." She greeted cheerfully.

"Akari-chan…" the girl who spread rumors earlier paused, at a loss for words. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." She went to her seat and placed her bag on the desk. "I just talked to Yua-san this morning. She's in good hands. So, please keep supporting her, too."

All of a sudden, the school bell rang, saving the awkward tension for later. Tobio sighed heavily. They only became classmates for roughly two weeks, yet drama already aroused… He turned his focus to the idol, feeling pity for her.

Come to think of it, Tobio hadn't informed her about the group project yet.

Then again, now wasn't the best time.

He would spend his lunch break in the same way as the other students. Except that he took his time alone most of the time. As soon as the bell rang, he wasted no time in climbing down the stairs to get one or two _yakisoba_ bread before it sold out. On his way back to the class, he developed a routine to stop by the vending machine to purchase some milk. If he didn't bump into familiar faces and get provoked by either Hinata or Tsukishima, he would usually head straight back to the class.

Just when he was looking through the window peacefully from his seat, someone stood by his desk.

"Are you Kageyama-kun?"

It was Akari. Hirose Akari.

"I heard that we would be working for a group project together. So…" She hesitated for a second. "Let's do our best?"

"Yeah. Let's do our best." He repeated. He noticed her eyeballs were moving in a circular motion.

"Are you available after school?" She inquired. "I'm planning to search for some references in the library. Do you want to come along?"

"I have practice after school. Do you mind waiting for me?"

"It's alright. I can start first."

The school bell rang. To his pleasure, it always rang at the right time.

"I'll be going then." She spun her body around before returning to her seat.

After school, Tobio and Hinata were practicing hard for the upcoming 3-on-3 match that would be held this Saturday. Despite that, they only gained access to the gym once the seniors had called it a day. As one by one of the seniors exited the court, they took the initiative to set up the net so that they could continue polishing the quick sets they invented this morning. Without realizing it, the sky had turned dark. Tanaka, the second-year who would be helping them in the match had also gone home sooner, reminding the two freshmen to clean up and lock up the gym once they were done.

A sudden realization came, Tobio made a promise to help with the group project once the practice was over! How could he forget that!

"Hey, Dumbass. I'm going back ahead!" He told Hinata before leaving him behind.

"Kageyama, you bastard!" The redhead cursed from a distance.

Tobio traveled through the empty corridor in great haste. Just when he arrived at the front of the library, the door opened, revealing a girl with golden-brown hair.

Her hazel eyes widened in surprise. As she was conscious of his quick breaths, she took a step back to give him room. "Kageyama-kun? Have you been running?"

Yet, he ignored her last question, his breath still erratic. "You done already?"

"I've completed the essay. Your part as well." She handed him a piece of paper. "Do you want to take a look?"

"Sure." He took the paper and ran his eye over it. The one-page essay was, by all means, written in English. The language whose basic he could barely grasp. The only thing he could perceive was her neat handwriting.

"You can bring it home if you want. But don't forget to submit it later." She suggested. "By the way, do you want to walk home together? If we're heading toward the same direction, of course."

First, she had done the group project all by herself, which had led him to feel guilty for not making any contributions. Moreover, it was late already. One thing his father had taught him was to never let a girl walk alone in the evening, notwithstanding the fact that the crime rate in Sendai City was considered very low compared to the rest of the world.

It was the least he could do to express his gratitude.

He stepped ahead without a word, leaving her confused. "Come on, let's go."


	2. A Walking Disaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When he thought she was a walking disaster he should avoid at all costs, it turned out that he himself had just added fuel to the fire.

Tobio wouldn’t have thought that he would regret his decision this sooner.

Before they departed from school, he had made sure that the vicinity was clear from familiar faces, especially if the familiar face had orange hair grown from the scalp. Hinata might get the wrong idea that he was only trying to escape from the clean-up routine when in reality, he just had another business to attend.

Perhaps he needed to think up proper apologies to the redhead tomorrow.

“Um, Kageyama-kun,” called Akari. “Why are you walking far behind me? Did I make you feel uncomfortable, by any chance?”

“No! Not at all!” He raised his voice unconsciously, causing her to slightly jump in place.

Instead of worrying about those who weren’t present, perhaps he should be worrying about himself more.

The fact that he was left alone with a girl. Not to mention, she wasn’t just an ordinary girl. People would have  _ killed _ to be in his place.

But then, it wasn’t the main problem. As he said, he didn’t care about idol groups.

All of a sudden, she froze, which caused Tobio to turned to her, “What’s wrong?”

“Did I walk too fast? Sorry.” She added, “I’ll keep up with your pace from now on. There are a lot of things I want to talk about with you.”

Tobio’s steps came to a halt, his sapphire eyes widened in surprise. “What? You want to talk to me about something?”

She paused, quickly batting her eyelashes. “Yes. Many things actually, if you don’t mind. Um, did I say something wrong?”

_ This _ was the problem. He’d been told how awkward he was by many. As much as he hated to admit it, they weren’t wrong.

“No. I don’t mind, of course.” He let out a stiff laugh in the hopes of brightening up the mood. “So, what do you want to talk about?”

Her hands wringing nervously. “Um, you said you had practice after school. Is that a club activity?”

“Yeah.” Answered him. “I’m on the volleyball team.”

“Really? That’s cool!” But then, she clapped both of her hands cheerfully, which reminded him of a baby seal. “So, how long have you been playing volleyball?”

“I started playing volleyball since I was in second grade. I guess it’s been quite a while already.”

“Then you must be a very skilled player!” She complimented. “What do you like the most when playing volleyball? Just wondering.”

Tobio would usually find it hard to open up to new people. But, there was something about her that made him feel comfortable about speaking his mind. Perhaps the way she paid full attention when he was talking made him feel appreciated a bit. Or the way she challenged him with questions whose answers he never thought much.

“Many reasons, I suppose.” He hesitated, lost in thought for a moment. “I love it when I see the ball up in the air. The feeling when my fingertips touch the ball. The moment when a teammate spikes the ball that I tossed and makes a score.”

She watched him quietly, her gaze displaying sorrow. “I think I understand what you meant. For an athlete, the court is like their stage, right? Everyone gets to see you do the thing you love the most. Your every move is constantly watched by them, but if you make one single mistake, that’s the only thing that lasts in their memories.”

He knitted his eyebrows, unsure about what she could be implying. But he agreed with the analogy between the court and the stage so far. Similar to a stage, a court is where the players can interact with the spectators. But at the same time, the players or the athletes aren’t expected to communicate directly with the audience. That wouldn’t make them any different from a comedian if that’s the case. The role of an athlete of competitive games is to compete against the opposing team and provide entertainment for the audience through their exciting play. Clearly, there are three parties involved in sports. Tobio wasn’t sure what applied to the music industry, as in whom they were contending with.

“Kageyama-kun, I know you have nothing to do with all this.” She gazed up at the starless night sky before facing him. The faint light of the moon shone on her prominent features, yet he couldn’t look away from the fire in her eyes. “But I just want to let at least one person know that I really love what I’m doing right now… Because at a time like this, no matter how hard I work, it just seems impossible to please everyone.”

There was grief in her tone. Yet, when Tobio looked over his shoulder, he caught sight of a smile that almost made him think that she was fine.

“I don’t know what to say right now,” he told the truth. “It’s the first time someone’s ever vented to me. But it looks like you've been through a lot.”

“It’s okay. I shouldn’t have let it slip in the first place.  _ Sorry.” _

It wasn’t the first time she said she was sorry today.

Just when the two arrived at a T-junction, Tobio stopped in his tracks, his thumb pointing to the left. “My home is on this way. How about you?”

“Mine is still straight ahead. It’s okay, Kageyama-kun. I’ll be fine on my own.”

In which he only nodded, “Safe travels.”

“Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.”

After they had parted ways, his mind was already wandering off somewhere. As if it had been automatically programmed, he was recalling all of the events taking place today, from the quick sets he’d been practicing with Hinata until late to Akari’s confession. And the big question finally arose,  _ why did she tell him? _ She’s famed and adored by many. Why did she bother to clue in someone she barely knew?

Suddenly, his phone in his pocket buzzed. It was a text from his father. He asked him to buy some soy sauce on his way home. Without complaint, he did as his father said and stopped by a nearby convenience store. As soon as he finished with his errand, about to go home, he was approached by Akari out of nowhere. She was panting in short urgent breaths, her face looking pale.

“Hirose?” He eyed her from head to toe. “What’s the matter? I thought you went home already.”

“Kageyama-kun… I think… I think I’m being followed!”

Without notice, a clicking sound was heard, interrupting the deafening silence of the night.  _ But, what was it? A camera? _

He pushed her behind his back, throwing his threatening gaze around. “Come out now. Come out while I’m being nice.”

They waited for a second, then two. But no one came out.

He would only be lying if he said he wasn’t frightened a bit. His heart was throbbing erratically and he’d been holding his breath the whole time.

“I said come out ―”

“Akari-chan… How dare you… It was because of you that Yua-chan left!” A man in a hooded sweatshirt showed his face, a sophisticated camera hanging around his neck. “You’re so greedy for the spotlights… Do you even know what Yua-chan and the others have gone through in order to put up with your selfish act?”

Akari clenched her trembling hands before she walked out behind Tobio’s back, “Shut up! You don’t know anything about me! Don’t speak as if you know anything at all!”

Yet, the suspicious man only laughed maniacally, “I don’t know anything about you, you said? I was  _ your _ fan! I had been following you around before you even made your debut! I caught up with all of your group’s activities. I even gave you those expensive gifts. I’ve dedicated all my time and love for you and this is what I got in return? You ungrateful bitch.”

Tobio noticed the stalker had been hiding his hand in his pocket since he showed his face. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of her shoulders shaking in fear. Impulsively, he came to her front, gesturing her to back down as he glared at the older man. “What do you want?” 

The mysterious man grinned suspiciously, “I want to get even with her. Since it’s not possible to bring Yua-chan back to the group, at least I want to jeopardize her career.”

“It’s alright, Kageyama-kun. I can handle this on my own.” Akari pushed down Tobio’s arm before she gave the stalker a piercing look. “It’s useless to explain the situation to you since you will only believe what you want to hear. Do you think Yua-san will be proud of your behavior right now?”

Without warning, he took out a folding knife from his pocket and pointed it at her eye. “You! Don’t you dare bring up Yua-chan’s name with that dirty mouth of yours! I dare you. I fucking  _ dare _ you! Or else I cut those lips with this knife…”

Before the tip of the knife had come into contact with Akari, Tobio managed to pull her back. He stared at the man angrily, “Watch out, you bastard!”

The stalker ignored Tobio’s remark and gave a snort of disgust. “Tell me, Akari-chan. Is this son of a bitch the guy you intend to manipulate next?”

“I’m her boyfriend.” Tobio declared without a second thought. “From now on, anyone who is messing with her will have to deal with me.”

The older man glanced back and forth between Tobio and Akari before bursting out laughing. His laughter gradually ceased as he saw the serious expression on Tobio’s face. “You’re what? No way. No fucking way! You two couldn’t be―fuck, this is too much!” 

“Now, get lost―”

“I don’t take orders from you!” The stalker screamed in horror. He once again looked at Akari’s direction, aiming with the knife. “ _ You _ . Before you know it, your career will be over. In a blink of an eye.” 

The older man ran off in a hurry, leaving the two victims alone.

“Hirose, are you alright?” Tobio turned to Akari. Her face still white, eyes staring in horror. Her hand was pushing against her chest as if it was forcing her heart in.  _ She doesn’t look well. _ “Hirose, give me your phone. I’ll contact your family.”

However, she only shook her head.

“What? Did you lose it?”

But then, her phone fell off from her pocket. Its screen remained blank when Tobio tried to turn it on. It must be running out of battery…

“I’ll walk you home,” he wrapped her arm around his shoulders, supporting her weight. “Just show me the way. Okay?”

Fortunately, Akari’s apartment wasn’t located that far from the convenience store they bumped into one another. Just when they reached the neighborhood of her apartment building, another man in a tailored suit approached them.

“Akari-chan? Why are you wheezing? Is your panic attack coming back?”

One thing that Tobio had learned from today’s lesson was to not trust a random man he met on the street, regardless of their appearances.

“Excuse me, but who are you?”

“My name is Takagaki Shinji. Her manager.” The older man showed him his business card. “Are you a friend of hers?”

“Yes, we attend the same school.” Tobio added, “A stalker appeared before us just now. He was pointing a knife at her and threatened to destroy her career.” 

“That’s hideous…” The manager expressed before holding on to Akari’s arm. “I’ll take care of her. Thank you for bringing her home. And you’re…?”

“Kageyama.”

“Kageyama-kun.” He repeated.

Once Tobio got home, he put the soy sauce his father requested on the dining table and climbed up to his room without a word. He shut the door behind him and slumped down onto the floor, his back leaning against his bed. His eyes closed and a heavy sigh escaped his mouth.  _ Damn… what a day.  _ Who would have thought the return trip from school would almost get him stabbed if he hadn’t been careful enough? Perhaps he wouldn’t have to experience all that if he were to take a different companion. 

Then again, _ it wasn’t her fault _ . He convinced himself. It could be the consequence of being a public figure. Suddenly, he recalled the time when one of his classmates was glamorizing the life of a celebrity. He could scoff at them now. Would they still be viewing it the same way if they had witnessed to that very incident? He started to doubt that.

Even so, he wondered if she was okay now. Her manager even mentioned about her panic attack relapsing.  _ Does that mean she’s gone through this before? _ Well, it was none of his business, to begin with.

But then, a voice he recognized very well rang in his ear.  _ “I’m her boyfriend.” _

_ Her boyfriend. _

_ Boyfriend. _

His cheeks boiling hot all of a sudden. It was  _ so _ embarrassing! What was on his mind when he said that? 

And how would he confront her tomorrow?  _ Shoot. _ He wasn’t ready!

The next day, a collection of photos had spread like wildfire on the internet. The photos were taken candidly and uploaded to a blog managed by an anonymous fan of Pink Panthers, featuring the renowned center of the group clinging to a young man whose face was blurred. The said young man had a tall and fairly built figure, also wearing Karasuno’s uniform.

Wait.  _ It’s him. _ Who else would it be?

A student crashed into Tobio’s shoulder when he was traveling through the corridor, heading toward the class. He looked daggers at the student, but it wasn’t sharp enough to make him turn around and apologize.

The student happened to be in the same class as him. He rushed to a group of male students at the back of the class.

“Have you all seen this?” He showed his phone around. “Akari-chan is dating a guy from our school! I can’t believe she lied to us! She said she went to Karasuno because of her siblings…”

When he thought she was a walking disaster he should avoid at all costs, it turned out that he himself had just added fuel to the fire.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! Dramas are ready to be served. Things are starting to be exciting, and it's only the beginning ;) I hope I portrayed Kags right and my OC, Akari doesn't come across as Mary Sue. Kindly leave me kudos and comments. It will motivate me without a doubt!


	3. No Apology

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The identity of Hirose Akari's alleged boyfriend has been figured out! How will Tobio handle this?

"Let me see, let me see!" The guys from Tobio's class started to gather around, squinting their eyes as one of them zoomed in the mysterious face beside Akari's.

"I can't tell who he is," one of them chimed in, rubbing his chin. "But I can tell nothing's going on between them."

"How are you so sure? Did you take this photo?"

"No, but _look._ They were just talking casually. No physical contact as well."

"You're right!" The other exclaimed. "Anyone can take that kind of picture with Akari-chan. So, relax, guys! There's nothing to worry about."

"... You're the one who worries the most, you idiot." His friend pointed out. "But, have you ever wondered why this bastard's face is blurred? Wouldn't it make these pictures more believable if the uploader just revealed his face?"

"Well, I heard it somewhere that they can't just reveal a noncelebrity's face without their consent. It's like an unspoken rule among the journalists."

Little did Tobio know that he'd been holding his breath throughout their conversation. His posture also became less tense after he heard the last line. He breathed out loudly, causing the group to shift their gaze toward him.

"What's wrong with you, Kageyama?" One of them gave him a strange look. "Oh, don't get your hopes up just because you two paired up for a group project!"

They still talked to him, meaning they hadn't realized he was the guy in those photos.

Even so, he wasn't sure whether to be pleased with the current situation or not. More importantly, he was still _safe_. At least, for now.

* * *

Meanwhile, Akari had actually gotten better. Once her sister returned from her workplace, she treated her to a lot of sweets, the things she couldn't enjoy under normal circumstances since she would be put on a strict diet by her company most of the time. Just when she was getting ready to go to school, her manager came to pick her up.

She knew something must have happened to get him to fetch her early in the morning. Especially when her company had approved of her focusing on her studies in her little hometown.

"Do you know why I came here?" Asked Takagaki as soon as she opened her apartment's door.

"Because I almost got stabbed by a stalker yesterday?" Akari hazarded a guess.

"Well, it's one of the reasons." The older man sighed, eyes looking serious. "You haven't checked the news, have you?"

Akari looked into her phone right away. She tended to neglect her phone whenever she was busy with something else. Much to her surprise, she received countless notifications. Mainly from her manager and her brother who stayed in Tokyo with their parents. But then, the shocking news popped up on the home screen of her phone, reporting that she was caught in a dating scandal with one of the students from her school. The article also provided several candid photos for evidence. Without further ado, she clicked on the link where the proof was referred to, which directed her to a fan site whose layout she could recognize.

The stalker from last night owned that site! After all, he used to dedicate that blog to her before he was attracted to the other member of Pink Panthers (Yua, to be precise). Seemingly, he wasn't joking when he said he wanted to jeopardize her career…

Nevertheless, the blurry face caught her attention. It was Tobio's, for certain. Suddenly, she felt bad for dragging him into this… when he only happened to be there when the stalker targeted her.

"Oh, but he's just my classmate." She looked up at her manager, not breaking eye contact. "There's nothing going on between us."

"I know. I met him yesterday, remember?" Reminded Takagaki. "I've already told the boss about it this morning and he seemed to believe me as well. Maybe he just wants to talk it out with you and instruct you on the best course of action to address this problem. We can't be reckless right now. Many of Yua-chan's fans already blamed you for her departure, and if you weren't being careful enough, I'm afraid it would take longer for you to make another appearance on the broadcast."

The older man then took her bag over, "Let's go. The boss wants to see you."

She lowered her face, fists clenched tightly. _That's it._ She was at her limit already, yet they kept pushing her to the absolute. She'd had _enough_. She was so sick and tired of being treated like a fat cow they could milk any time. Obviously, all they cared about was _money_ and never her well-being.

"Got it…" Having said that, she succumbed, letting her manager carry her bag and lead her to the car.

Before she knew it, they'd arrived in the parking lot of the company. She mostly spent her time brooding on the road, thinking about what she would say to the chief executive and not to make his blood boil, by all means. Her nails digging into her sweaty palm, as soon as her manager who sat on the driver seat noticed her high-strung demeanor, he turned to her.

"There's nothing to be scared of," he began. "You're not at fault and the boss is in a good mood today. If worse comes to worst, he will only yell at you."

 _You don't say._ Still, she flashed a polite smile. "Thank you for the ride, Takagaki-san."

She let out a sigh before entering the building. _Alright, here we go. Nothing to be scared of._ She had been reprimanded by the boss one time and she still survived it, come what may, meaning she would survive this one as well.

Since it was still early in the morning, she didn't have to stumble upon anyone in the corridor. It also had been quite a while since she explored the company building by herself. Usually, she would only go straight to the practice room and spend the night and the day there practicing with her group. The being said, she noticed something while walking along the corridor. The walls were decorated with framed photos of the Pink Panthers throughout their careers. It had been almost three years since Akari debuted and she couldn't help but notice her transformation. _How time flies…_ She paused for a moment, mesmerized by each photo. Although the changes in her appearance were too drastic to be ignored, she began to wonder if the passion she had for music was still the same. Sure, she still enjoyed herself while performing on stages and meeting her fans, but not everyone thought she deserved to be where she was now.

There were times when she felt like giving up. This time, for instance.

She was greeted with a stern face the moment she stepped into the office. She swallowed her saliva and thought to herself, _Is that the kind of face the boss makes when he's in a good mood?_

"Take a seat, Akari." The elderly man gestured. His gaze softened over time.

She ensconced herself before him, hands clasping together and face turning down.

"I've heard from Takagaki. We're asking the paparazzi to take down those pictures since reporters from news outlets have been bombarding us with questions. We will leave it unconfirmed until the backlash dies down." Suggested the chief executive. "For your own sake, I'm asking you to keep a low profile for the time being. Don't post anything on your social media as well."

"I understand."

"Take a day off for today, we'll inform the school." The director continued, "Takagaki will pick you up from school starting next week. Make sure your panic attack isn't coming back when you're in public. Just take a deep breath, okay?"

Apparently, her boss was telling her to suppress her panic attack. As of then, plenty of therapists were found jobless.

In the end, she only let loose of her folding hands and nodded. "Got it."

"You may dismiss then."

Following the director's order, Akari got up and left the office quietly. Just when she closed the door behind her, a black look appeared on her face, her jaw clenched. She pressed her quivering lips together to hold her anger back in. Had she prepared herself earlier, she wouldn't have to bump into her manager and get sent over to the office. At a time like this, a distraction would be of great help, though...

She wondered how her classmates were doing at school right now.

* * *

Tobio only went home after he was satisfied with the quick-sets he'd developed with Hinata. The 3-on-3 match was tomorrow, after all, but he was more than confident in their skills to stupefy the upperclassmen. He, Hinata, and Tanaka stopped by the Sakanoshita store to purchase some pork buns on their way home. The three exited the store one by one with Tobio leading the way. To Tobio's surprise, the return trip went on in silence. It didn't feel right somehow... especially when both Hinata and Tanaka had been reunited.

"Hinata, you're a genius!" Exclaimed Tanaka from behind. "Now that you mentioned it, Kageyama is carrying the same bag as the guy in the photos!"

He spun his body around spontaneously, almost choking on his bun. " _What_?"

Little did Tobio know that his identity was still at risk.

"Besides Kageyama, who else would use a training bag to school?" Hinata added.

"Kageyama, you bastard!" Tanaka jumped at him, his arm strangling his neck. "Say, are you dating her? That Hirose Akari?"

"Of course—"

Suddenly, the memory from yesterday played back in his head. " _I'm her boyfriend."_

_Her boyfriend._

_Boyfriend._

"... not." He spoke in an undertone, his cheeks flushed from sudden embarrassment.

Be that as it may, Hinata and Tanaka didn't seem to hear his last remark.

"Unbelievable! How shameless!" Hinata mocked.

"You punk! How dare you date an idol and admitted that just now without shame? Don't you care about her safety at all?" Tanaka hit Tobio in the head, then his tone softened. "Damn you, Kageyama. You may have broken many men's hearts, but we won't let you live if you dare to break her heart."

"I'm _not_ dating her!" Tobio screamed at the top of his lungs. "I'm not dating anyone!"

Hinata and Tanaka exchanged a confused look before the junior frowned at Tobio. "How dare you denied your relationship with Akari-chan! And you call yourself a man? A man would never do that!"

"Tanaka-san, you're so cool! So manly!" Praised Hinata with sparkling eyes. "But, isn't it a good thing that Kageyama isn't dating Akari-chan? Since you're such a big fan of hers."

"Well," Tanaka crossed his arms over his chest. "He admitted it at first, didn't he? Then, he suddenly denied it. Isn't it suspicious?"

"For me, Kageyama has done nothing but raised suspicions from the start." Hinata scowled. "Anyway, Kageyama, why haven't you told any of us that you're dating an idol?"

"I don't have any obligations to tell you guys about everything in my life." Tobio stared angrily. "As I said, we're _not_ dating. Stop twisting the truth."

"Alright, alright. It's okay to keep secrets to yourself." Tanaka patted his back. "Just so you know, your secret is safe with us—"

Without notice, the blond shop owner came out and yelled at the three, "Shut the hell up, you brats! Just go home and eat a proper meal!"

* * *

The next Monday, the school was in chaos because the alleged boyfriend of Hirose Akari had finally been figured out.

As Akari walked past the corridor, many of the students were whispering to each other and stealing strange glances at her as if she was moving around without a stitch on. Outside the class, a few classmates whose faces she could easily recognize had already been waiting for her.

"Akari-chan! Tell us the truth!" The first girl whined. "Is it true you're dating Kageyama-kun?"

Before long, Tobio walked into the class guiltlessly. His gaze explored the room as he was aware of the unusual tension.

"How dare you beat us, Kageyama!" One of the guys shouted.

"What's with all the commotion?" He took a look around, catching sight of diverse expressions, from rage to disappointment.

"Don't play dumb, you bastard!" A male student yelled. "We warned you to never cross the line! Fans aren't allowed to date their idols!"

"It's all right, Hitomu, you're not the only one who gets your heartbroken." His friend hugged him in condolence. "Idols are humans too, after all. They can date whoever they want…"

"This is ridiculous," Tobio said as he put down his bag on his desk, running away from the class afterward.

"Why is he so upset?" One of the students tilted his head, his eyes following Tobio before his back vanished at the end of the corridor.

 _Okay, this is bad._ Akari thought to herself. She didn't know Tobio very well yet. For that reason, she was unable to envision his train of thought. Having said that, he had helped her get away from the stalker the other days ago and the least she could do was thank him properly.

"I'll talk to him!" She announced before exiting the classroom.

After looking high and low for him, Akari eventually found him within spitting distance of the vending machine, gulping down a small packaged milk. Although he was aware of her presence, he looked the other way instead.

"Kageyama-kun," called her. "We need to talk."

He only turned to her after she'd stared at him determinedly. "About what?"

"I—" she hesitated, her voice cracking. "I'm sorry... For getting you involved in all this. I know you only told the stalker that we were a couple because you were only looking out for me. But the encounter with him—it's a problem I should've handled better on my own! So, let me at least clarify to our classmates that you were only helping me out at that time."

His gaze softened when he saw her lower her head, "... What are you apologizing for? It wasn't even your fault, to begin with. Did you expect me to do nothing and watch you get stabbed by that psycho? You should learn that there are things in life that you can't control, Hirose."

"Sorry—"

"And don't apologize too much. This is why people always take you lightly." He turned away to hide his reddened face. " _Probably."_

"Okay." A soft laugh escaped her lips. He realized that her eyes would turn into half-moons when she was giggling. "It was the first time someone ever told me that. Anyway, let's get back to class before the bell—"

_...rings._

"Yeah, let's go." Tobio walked ahead and Akari followed suit.

"Do you still want me to explain this misunderstanding or not?"

He paced up so that anyone wouldn't spot them together, "Just do as you like!"

Once Tobio crossed the threshold of the classroom, every pair of eyes riveted to him, yet no one had the nerve to make a noise. Akari came behind shortly after. She took a deep breath before opening her mouth, "Listen up, everyone, I have an important announcement to be made."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go, another update! Sadly, there won't be any update until next week (or longer) because I'll be busy with finals D: (I'm a college senior, so it's gonna be my last exams ever. Yay!) Also, I'm not quite sure if I depicted the music industry in Japan realistically here since I mostly follow K-Pop idols XD leave me comments if you think I should make any changes OR have Japanese idols you'd like me to listen. I'm all ears! See you guys very soon.


	4. In the Middle of Spring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are still a lot of things about idol culture that Tobio still fails to make sense of, including fan service. Is Akari sure her fans won't get a wrong idea about it?

At the end of the day, Akari still hadn't cleared up Tobio's name.

"Listen up, everyone, I have an announcement to be made." She said as she stood up before the class earlier this morning. Every pair of eyes were set on her. As much as she'd gotten used to performing on the stage, she admitted she still found being stared at a bit uncomfortable sometimes, especially when she was playing the bearer of bad news. _But, is it considered bad, to begin with? Wouldn't they pretty much be thankful that she wasn't dating?_

"The thing is…" she swallowed her saliva nervously. Before she got the chance to continue, their homeroom teacher had already entered the classroom. The older woman was stunned for a moment to see her students sit down to welcome her. After getting so many complaints from other teachers, at last, her students could prove her wrong and looked like someone she could be proud of. It almost made her tear up on the spot… The homeroom then went on with her praising their manners nonstop.

Much to Akari's dismay, even though she failed to make her relationship with Tobio clear, leastwise, she could keep her classmates' chaotic behaviors under control for the time being. Only for the time being, though.

As expected, she could only restrain them for only a little while. It was time for English class again, and the teacher told the students to regroup with their previous partners and practice their speaking skills together.

Objected, one of the male students raised his hand, "Sensei, why don't we form a new group instead?"

"Why? Is your _current_ partner giving you a hard time, Sugihara-kun?"

"Eh? No! Of course, not—"

"Then it won't be necessary," insisted the teacher. "What are you guys still seated for? Get moving!"

Akari watched the other students start to assemble with their partners, while she remained unmoved, sitting tight. Her gaze explored the room quietly, searching high and low for her partner who seemed to have gone missing. _Where could he be?_ She wondered. There and then, the very idea crossed her mind. _Could he be avoiding her…?_

"Hey," Tobio came unannounced, dismissing the latter idea right away. His gaze shifted toward the seat in front of her, "Is that seat taken?"

"No. Miyano-san went over to her partner's just now."

Tobio sat down and groaned. "Seems like we'll be stuck with each other for a damn semester."

"You don't like it?"

He shrugged, "I don't _hate_ it. You seem reliable, too, based on the last assignment you worked on alone. I just don't like it when people are getting the wrong idea about us, Hirose. Please don't take it personally."

She tilted her head to the side, curiosity drawn all over her face. "Why? Is there somebody you're having a crush on, Kageyama-kun?"

"What? No way!" His face reddened in a flash. "It's not about _me_ , of course! Do you not realize that most of the male students in this class are after you, Hirose? J-Just how dense can you be?!"

"That's not very nice, Kageyama-kun!" Her lower lip protruded into a sulky pout. "Ah! Are you familiar with the term 'fan service' at all?"

"Never heard of it. What is that?"

"It is when an idol is giving back a reaction to their fans with loving and sometimes hilarious gestures. My fans usually go crazy when I do that!" A proud smile decorated her face, her eyes glistening.

As much as Tobio could care less about idols, he couldn't turn a deaf ear to the hearsay surrounding idol fans' fanatical behaviors. Not to mention, the last incident that involved him had opened his eyes even wider.

His hands propped his chin, intrigued. "What was the craziest thing you've ever done to your fans?"

"Err, so there was a fan signing event. I doubt you've ever been to one. But, as the name suggests, it's basically where fans can meet their idols and ask for their autographs. Any kind of interaction is expected, too, but only for a limited time since other fans will still be lining up to wait for their turns. So, it actually happened not too long ago. A fan came to me and proposed to me with a ring, and I said yes."

"Wait. _What?"_ Tobio blinked twice, unable to conceal his surprise. "You were married before? And why the hell am I the only one getting a backlash now?"

She burst out laughing, her hands hurriedly covering her mouth afterward. "It was only a part of the fan service! Of course, I wasn't marrying him legally. My fan knew that as well."

However, Tobio began to falter in her words. If his memory served him correctly, he was sure she said that she loved her job from the bottom of her heart. But then, how could she regard a marriage proposal from her fan as a mere joke? Could it be that she was only passionate about music and not her fans?

There were still a lot of things about idol culture that he failed to make sense of.

"Were you being insincere, Hirose?"

"Where did you get that idea from, Kageyama-kun?"

"You accepted the marriage proposal without a second thought. But then, you said you were never married to anyone before."

"So, you were saying that you would only believe my sincerity if I got married to a fan? That's not how a fan service really works, Kageyama-kun." A soft giggle escaped her lips. "I love all my fans sincerely and equally. Since you asked what the craziest fan service I've done, I decided to tell the tale to you. Besides, before I made my debut, I kinda vowed to myself that I won't let myself fall for a fan. Because it will be unfair for the rest."

He raised his eyebrow, perplexed. "Not sure if I get it."

Suddenly, she held out her hands, placing them on top of his. Her eyes were staring deeply into his as if she was looking for something underneath. "Which part do you still not get it, Kageyama-kun?"

He retracted his hands spontaneously. His heart was beating against his chest erratically as blood pumped up to his cheeks. Panicked, he threw a glance at his surroundings. His classmates seemed to be engaged in conversation with their respective partners at the moment. Fortunately, no one had noticed _. Phew._

"You fell for it!" Hysterical laughter filled the room. Akari managed to suppress it before she started to garner attention. "That's what you call a fan service! I wasn't named as the queen of fan service for nothing, after all."

His heart was still pounding in haste as if he'd dropped the ball after a long rally. _Damn Hirose._ Why hadn't he seen that coming?

"Shut up! I'm not even your fan, to begin with, so it doesn't count—"

"Hey, look! It looks like the vice-principal is fighting off some reporters outside the front gate!" One of their classmates pointed out, causing the other students to flock by the windows to see it with their very own eyes.

"You're right! They're bringing cameras and other equipment along! Are they filming us right now?"

"Damn, I'm so gonna wave at the camera so that my mom can see me on TV!"

"Haha. The wind is so strong. It almost blew off the vice principal's wig!"

"Leave! Or I'll call the police." Screamed the vice-principal at the top of his lungs. As he noticed the commotion he'd been handling had drawn the students' attention, he glanced up and yelled. "There's nothing to see here! Go back to class, you punk!"

"... You heard the vice-principal loud and clear." Minaho-sensei frowned, her hands on her hips reluctantly. "Now, get back to your seat. I'm going to call you one by one to practice conversation in front of the class."

Recalling they had only wasted plenty of time doing nothing but demonstrating a fan service (which had nothing to do with the speaking skills they were supposed to polish), Tobio turned to her. "Screw this. I'm not in the mood to—"

Before he managed to finish his sentence, she lifted her hand up as the teacher approached her.

"Sensei, can I step aside for a minute? I need to make a phone call."

The teacher nodded, giving her permission. As Akari exited the room without a word, Tobio could only watch her back disappear behind the door.

* * *

Seemingly, the rumors about him dating an idol had been spread around the school. The upperclassmen from the volleyball team appeared to take more interest in his (false) love life of 3 days than his 3-year experience as a former setter of Kitagawa Daiichi.

"So, you're the freshman who's dating Akari-chan, right?" Kinoshita bumped his shoulder into Tobio's, a teasing smile plastered on his face. "Why didn't you tell us what secret charm you used to seduce her?"

It wasn't the first time he'd gotten asked with one and the same question. At this point, he'd learned by heart the scenario he should come out with, "We aren't dating. The guy in those photos isn't me. We just happen to carry the same bag, that's all."

Abruptly, Sugawara slapped his back as he laughed out loud. "You're such a terrible liar, Kageyama!"

Of course, it was no use even if he tried to clarify or deny the dating rumors. Every now and then, he found himself glaring at the clock, finding fault with the time for not ticking by a bit faster so that the practice could begin immediately. While waiting for the other members to gather, he picked up a ball and decided to practice his jump serves. As he threw the ball up high in the air, he sprinted before he leaped up, allowing his palm to connect with the ball with brute force in order to dispatch it to the other side of the court. Eventually, he clicked his tongue in annoyance just when he found out the ball landed outside the court.

Tsukishima who was just passing by to get the other ball looked over his shoulder and smirked, "Looks like the King isn't able to concentrate well today. Single people like us can't relate."

"What?" Tobio only looked daggers at the four-eyed man, his fists itchy enough to punch anyone in the face.

"Hey, Tsukki! Didn't you say you and Hirose Akari were childhood friends? What was she like back then?" Yamaguchi spoke aloud, yet he was facing the other way as if he wasn't inviting Tobio to join the conversation.

"I only said I knew her brother. Our brothers were classmates before, and he used to visit my house all day." Revealed Tsukishima halfheartedly before walking away.

"What is it, what is it? What did I miss?" The other second year who shared the same haircut as Tanaka joined in. Even so, his demeanor showed signs of being the complete opposite of Tanaka.

"Warm-ups. You guys are missing warm-ups." Ennoshita added, giving a side-eye at the clock. "Let's not waste our time. You don't want to see Daichi-san beat the hell out of you, no?"

Without protest, the team obeyed as they gathered around, Ennoshita leading the stretches. In the middle of the warm-ups, the door opened, revealing Sawamura, Tanaka, and Hinata with their soaked hair and clothes. Seemingly, it had been raining heavily for a while now. The door was shut tightly, which had prevented any noise from leaking into the gym. Either that or Tobio was too irritated to get himself distracted. Probably the latter.

"Sorry for the late. You guys may carry on with your warm-ups." Sawamura, the captain turned to Hinata and Tanaka. "You guys still bring spare clothes, right? If not, Shimizu should've stored some in the club room."

"It's alright, Daichi-san! I arrived late. To make up for that, I'll go around another lap until my clothes get dry!" Hinata exclaimed.

"Hinata, dumbass!" Imitated Sugawara before stealing a glance at Tobio, "Am I doing it right?"

The practice continued until the heavy rain alleviated, leaving drizzle only.

"Thanks for your hard work today, everyone!" Sawamura exclaimed. "The gym will be locked until tomorrow, so go straight home after this."

"But, Daichi-san—"

"No buts, Hinata." He sighed rather heavily, "And not you too, Kageyama."

Tsukishima scoffed, "Don't you guys have anything better to do other than volleyball? Like homework, maybe?"

Before Hinata came at Tsukishima, the vice-captain managed to hold his arm up, causing his body to hover over the ground. "Tsukishima's right, Hinata. We're all dead beat already, so no fighting today, please?"

"Anybody wants to stop by Sakanoshita? It's my treat today." Tanaka announced.

"Me, me, me! Pork buns are perfect for rainy days." Hinata raised his hand enthusiastically, hopping around like a bunny.

"How about you, Kageyama? Are you coming or not?"

Tobio rummaged his bag to discover his textbook was missing. "You guys go ahead without me. I think I left my homework in the classroom."

"Got it. See ya there!"

Tobio wasted no time in picking up his textbook. But then, just when he was putting his indoor shoes back into his locker, a voice he could barely recognize called him.

"Kageyama-kun," it was Takagaki, Akari's manager. "Sorry for disturbing you. Do you happen to know where Akari-chan went?"

He shrugged in all honesty, "I don't know. But the class was already empty the last time I checked. Have you tried phoning her?"

"I have, but it seems her phone is off right now." The older man massaged his temples frustratingly. "Damn that girl... Why does she always have her phone off at a time like this?"

 _That can't be helped…_ _What is the wisest course of action to take?_ He reviewed each alternative on his mind. A) Tell that he's in a hurry because he has someone waiting for him, which is _true,_ and B) Offer a helping hand because that's the basic empathy he should have shown…?

"Do you have time, Kageyama-kun? Can you somehow lend me a hand? As you might've noticed, many reporters have been wandering around the school gate since this morning. I can't let them find her first before I do."

 _Oh, no. It's been decided already._ Not even by himself.

"I'll help, don't worry."

He was the one who should be worried! The last time he associated himself with Akari, he chanced upon a stalker who carried around a folding knife as if it was a bottle of water! Who would he encounter next?

* * *

A moment ago. The rain had subdued a little when Akari decided to break through. She realized how the reporters had started camping out the school gate earlier today. Even if the vice-principal had tried his best to hold them back—those reporters of strong will did not falter. She had also done her best on her terms, although her best here was to make contact with her agency, clueing them in on the situation. Still, the best they could offer was to dispatch her manager to the scene as if it made any difference.

Yet, she didn't get to meet Takagaki in the end.

No one had expected the rain would fall in the middle of spring. As much as she didn't expect the rain to be her knight in shining armor. Thanks to the rain, the reporters began to disperse to take shelter, prioritizing their cameras and other expensive equipment over a sole idol group member. At first, an idea to push through the heavy rain came across her mind, but it was too much of a risk with no return. Moreover, she didn't bring any umbrella along. Her sister wouldn't be very pleased if she came home all soaked and ended up catching a cold.

Her return trip was almost too peaceful. No passerby could be spotted even. Unlike Tokyo, whose residents would still persist in crossing the busy streets with an umbrella in hand. Having said that, she didn't let her guard down a bit. Although being cautious didn't lessen the fear of terror she visualized in the back of her mind. Unknowingly, her pace accelerated even if she was certain that no one was behind her. _It's only you. You make things up. There's nothing to be scared of._ She assured herself. Yet, her heart rate kept elevated as time went by as if it could stop any minute now.

"Akari-chan…?"

A familiar voice, but not the one she hoped to hear at the moment.

"Togashi-kun…?" She hesitated, her voice shaking. "What are you doing here?"

 _No, Togashi-kun is an_ ally _._ In fact, she knew him pretty well. He was a long-time fan of hers. Not as long as the stalker she came across the other day, but long enough for her to know his name, recognize his face, and learn about his background. Togashi enrolled in Tokyo University this year, which makes him 3 years older than her. He was a diligent and achieving student overall, proven by his academic background. He also admitted that listening to Pink Panthers' music helped him deal with stress and pressure he got from his parents, hence he became an avid fan. He came to almost all of their concerts and fan meetings, sometimes, he also went to the airport to send his favorite idol group off when they had overseas schedules. During that time, he would hand a fan letter to Akari who happened to be his best-loved member.

If truth be told, Akari learned about all this information through the fan letters he sent. She didn't get the chance to write him back personally, but it didn't make her cherish him any less. She cherished all her fans wholeheartedly, all the same.

As much as she wanted to believe that Togashi wouldn't try anything that could harm her in a way, his drenched hair and dripping attire caused her to falter.

She wasn't suspicious of Togashi until now.

"Akari-chan... I came all the way here just to see you." A devilish grin decorated his face. "Why are you so surprised?"

She squeezed the hem of her skirt harder, hesitating to back off. "How may I help you, Togashi-san?"

Yet, he kept moving forward, his eyes gazing down into hers. "Are you cheating on me, Akari-chan? How dare you… How dare you!"

Spontaneously, Akari shut her eyes when Togashi lifted up his hand, about to give her a slap across the cheek. However, his palm never landed on her cheek. She mustered up enough courage to open her eyes only to find Tobio holding up Togashi's hand in the air.

Togashi pulled away from his grip, "You're the guy Akari-chan's been cheating with."

"Stop being delusional, you freak. You're just a fan. You don't own her."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHO'S EXCITED ABOUT SEASON 4? I COULD NOT BE THE ONLY ONE RIGHT, RITEEE? Anyway, a longer chapter for you! Because it's been almost 2 weeks since I last updated I think(?) hope you enjoy this chapter as well!
> 
> Shout out to 141991vivian for the awesome feedback! I think this is the first time I ever received such a heartwarming message about my writing. It really made my day :')


	5. The Symbol of Strength and Revolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akari goes to see a therapist. She thinks she might have bipolar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: mental issues.
> 
> The flashback will be emphasized in italic, while the present will be written in the default case. There will be many OCs mentioned here, which I will explain their respective roles below. Happy reading!

For the first time in a while, Akari was seeing her therapist again.

She was reclining on a chaise lounge in an all-white room. Her head tilted up to the ceiling as her arm outstretched to block the blinding light from her view. At last, she was _here_ again. The last time she had to go through a therapy session was when her panic attacks had gotten worse to the point she couldn’t be surrounded by a large number of people, which was considered a nuisance by her agency since it prevented her from making money. In fact, her agency almost gave up on her, they made her switch from a therapist to another until they could get rid of the panic attacks. By all means, it didn’t cure completely, but the last therapist she consulted with didn’t put ideas into her head that she was the one preventing her panic attacks from being treated. 

We all need someone to take on our sides, don’t we?

“When was the last time you had a panic attack, Akari-san?” Her therapist who was sitting on the opposite of her inquired. Waiting for her answer, he crossed his legs, his hands capping his knee.

“It was when a fan of mine paid me a sudden visit in front of my apartment building. He came all the way to Miyagi after he heard about a false dating rumor involving me. He was… staring angrily at me as if he caught me cheating on him. I was alone at that time. Suddenly, a voice whispered in my head. ‘Oh no, it’s happening again’, ‘I can’t think straight’, ‘why am I freaking out?’, ‘my chest hurts’, ‘I must be dying, it’s too late now’, and on and on.”

“And how did you overcome it?”

“I didn’t,” her finger slid along the hem of her shirt nervously. “One of my classmates saw me on the street. He sensed something was wrong and decided to step in. He drove my fan away, I suppose, I didn’t remember how. My manager came before long, I was taken inside then.”

“Did you take your medication?”

She shook her head weakly and turned to her therapist, “I had it under control, so it wasn’t needed. To tell you the truth, I didn’t come here because of my panic attacks.”

The older man didn’t utter a word, only waiting for her to continue.

“I think I might have bipolar.”

“What makes you think so?”

“Do you remember Yua-san? My bandmate who recently quit. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She goes through extreme mood swings a lot. There were times when she would be very nice to me. She likes to give me gifts, although it's on account of impulsive buying. She's full of energy as well, so it's really hard to keep up with her. But when she was having an episode... she would take it all on me. She would usually scream at me or lock me in the bathroom until our manager found me. Last time, she slammed my hand in the door. On the contrary to the popular belief, Yua-san and I were actually very close. The two of us trained the longest, so we basically grew up together. Hence, I’ve learned all of the symptoms by heart.”

Creases appeared on his forehead, “So, did you do all the things you mentioned to the people around you?”

She remained quiet for a moment before opening her mouth, “Not that extreme. But I snapped at the other members and some seniors at school. I was so surprised after I did that since I never had an outburst before.”

_The first time she lost her temper was when she was attending a press conference relating to the Pink Panthers’ future plans. Following a member’s departure and the stalker incident, the PR team came up with a press conference in order to dismiss the speculation of potential disbandment. At the same time, they were announcing that the members would release each of their solo songs before their first comeback as a 4-member group. Akari’s solo would be dropped last, by all means. Seeing that she still needed more time to cope with her panic attacks, the company also saw this as an opportunity to let the other members shine on their own._

_However, she felt sick since the sun rose this morning. Takagaki had to drag her away as far as possible from the bed in order to make her take part in the press conference. It was also the first time she didn’t feel like smiling in front of the cameras at all. At that very moment, she no longer cared about the opinion the public would have of her._

_“Cut your bitchy attitude out, will you?” One of her members stood behind her when she was sitting idly in the dressing room. “We’ve put up with you enough. Don’t make the Pink Panthers’ name go downhill just because you can.”_

_Akari studied her expression through the reflection in the mirror. It took her less than a minute to get back to the fashion magazine on her lap. “Sorry.” She muttered._

_“What’s the use of apologizing if you will just do the same mistakes over and over again? Do you actually mean it when you say you’re sorry?”_

_Another member chimed in, “Karen-chan, how long have you known Akari-chan? Of course, she apologizes so that she can get away from all of her problems easily! Who could resist her puppy eyes, after all?”_

_Her fingers suddenly stopped flipping through the pages, face up._

_“Why are you so quiet today? Is it a boy problem?” The short-haired girl sat on the chair’s arm, looking through Akari closely. “Listen up, Akari, idols_ do _date around. Just make sure you don’t get caught. I heard there was a female idol who got caught dating and she had to shave her hair off to ask forgiveness from her fans.”_

_Before Akari got the chance to respond, another member entered the dressing room. “Why are you guys taking so long to—” she stopped in her tracks as soon as she was aware of the tension. “What were you guys doing? Why is the two of you surrounding Akari-chan?”_

_“We’re reviewing the press conference. Do you mind joining us, Sumire-chan?” One of the girls wrapped her arm around the other girl’s shoulders, her hand forming a microphone as she brought it close to her mouth. “Sumire-san! How do you feel about being the first Pink Panthers member to ever drop her solo? Are you feeling pressured or the other way round since you’ve been waiting for your turn to finally shine?”_

_“We’ve wrapped up the press conference, so I don’t see the need in answering that_ —”

_“I see that you’re avoiding the question, Sumire. But why? Because Akari is here? She has to hear about everything we’ve been welling up, Sumire. Especially from you since as a leader, you bear the most responsibility.”_

_The leader pressed her quivering lips together, her fist clenched. “I can’t… I really can’t. I’m sorry but I think it would be too much_ —”

_“I’ll say it on your behalf. We’re sick of you trying so hard to steal the spotlight every damn time, Akari. We’re older than you, at least show some respect to us!”_

_“Teach us your way, Akari-chan. What’s the secret of becoming the CEO’s favorite? Well, he might haven’t said it to our faces yet, but when there were two people suffering from mental illness in a group, it’s awfully obvious when the CEO decided to eliminate one but keep the other, don’t you think so?”_

_The girl who took a seat on the chair’s arm reached Akari’s chin, “Are you not going to apologize again this time?”_

_Abruptly, Akari brushed the other girl’s hand off her chin, her hazel eyes burning with anger._ That _was the breaking point of her patience. She couldn’t hold it in any longer… Did they actually think she somehow was chosen as the center because she licked the CEO’s boots all the time? Did they have any clues about what it really takes to be the center? She was overworked most of the time. Never in her life, she failed to mention the Pink Panthers’ name whenever she was promoting alone or representing her group in a certain program or event. What did they think she worked her ass off for if it weren’t for the group’s sake?_

_And now they were accusing her of getting all the attention for herself when all she did was playing the center’s role._

_“Oh, are you picking a fight on me?” All of a sudden, she grabbed Akari’s ponytail and pulled it back roughly. “You’re messing with the wrong girl, Akari!”_

_For all that, Akari didn’t falter. Karen’s bob hair made it easier for her to grab it. “Do you expect me to stay silent all the time when you’ve been treading on my toes, Karen-san? Why? Just because I’m young? The hell with that! I trained the longest here along with Yua-san! So, I’m technically your senior in terms of experience. But, have you ever found me claiming for the seniority?”_

_“Akari-chan, Karen-chan, let’s not fight, okay? We can talk this out_ —”

_“You stay out of it, Sumire-san!” As she raised her voice, her grip grew stronger. “Do you really think being a center is an easy task, Karen-san? The only time I was able to sleep was when I was getting my makeup done! I got sexually harassed by many producers and seniors in the past, but I couldn’t do anything about it because we were still nameless rookies! I never got the chance to make friends out there because my schedules were always packed! I sacrificed a lot for this group already, but what did I ever get in return? Being treated as an attention whore, that is!”_

_“And do you expect me to empathize with your struggle? Guess what? Who cares! I only believe what I see_ — _argh, bitch! Stop grabbing my hair! Get your hand off of me!” Karen screamed in pain just when Akari brought her head lower with brute force. In her defense, she also added more power to her grip at once, which caused Akari to flinch from her stance. “Isn’t your long hair too smooth and precious to be grabbed like this? Do you want to go bald before you even get caught in a dating scandal?”_

_But then, Akari extended her hand to take hold of a scissor on the dressing table and cut her ponytail in one stroke, causing Karen to remove her grasp instantly. The impulsive action she took had made the other Pink Panthers’ members stare open-mouthed, lost at words._

She lifted her body up and let her feet drop to the furry carpet. Her hand ran through her newly-styled shoulder-length hair, straightening it after lying down for quite some time. She liked her new haircut so far. It felt lighter, which allowed her to nod more often now, therefore less speaking. Moreover, it symbolizes strength and revolution, for her part. Strength because it reminded her of the first time she stood up for herself, and revolution because her company was against it, saying that a short hairstyle didn’t fit her image.

She heaved a sigh, “The second time, a group of seniors tried to injure me so that I would be replaced as a leading role in a musical play.”

_The lunch break was almost over. Akari went back earlier to the class to prepare her books and other stationery for the next class. Some of her classmates playing around with one another, lively noise filled the room and merry sound of the laughter mingled. She didn't notice at first that a senior had entered the classroom and seated himself on the vacant seat in front of her without a word._

_“Hirose Akari, right? I’m Yamanaka Ken from class 3-5. The director of the school’s drama club.” The senior held out his hand, gesturing for a handshake. “I’ll cut to the chase. I’m looking for a leading female character to feature in my musical play. She has to be an all-around actress. Someone who gives off charisma with her acting and someone who can sing confidently on the stage. I see you suit this role perfectly, Hirose-san. What will you say?”_

What did he even see in her? _Akari wondered. As of today, she’d only starred in a few commercial films and a drama once. For that reason, she was aware that her acting skills were still lacking in numerous aspects. In her last drama, she only got to play a supporting character, nevertheless, it was such a memorable experience. The other cast was mostly respected actors who had won plenty of awards, hence they gave her several helpful tips that helped her acting look more natural as time went by._

_But that wasn’t enough. Her acting debut was heavily criticized at first. The drama scored moderate ratings at best despite its huge production costs. Ever since then, she hadn’t been offered any acting gig. And she would only be lying if she said it didn’t bring her confidence down…_

_But then, an opportunity knocked on her door. It wasn’t what she had expected, though. What would a musical theatre look like? She’d never seen one, let alone appear in one._

_“Here is the script I’ve prepared. How about you take a look at it and let me know about your final decision after you finish reading it?” He handed her the sample script._

_“I’ll gladly accept the role. Thanks for the opportunity!” Akari agreed right away, grinning from ear to ear. “So, when will we start?”_

_“The first rehearsal will take place in the auditorium after school. I’ll look forward to working together with you, Hirose-san.”_

_After school, Akari wasted no time in heading toward the auditorium to attend her first rehearsal. As soon as she arrived, she was welcomed with open arms by the drama club members._

_“I can’t believe you managed to recruit Hirose Akari, Ken-san!”_

_“Akari-chan! I’m such a big fan of yours! Can I shake your hand?”_

_“Let’s work hard together, Hirose-san!”_

_Having said that, not everyone in the room was pleased with the director’s decision to make Akari the lead actress._

_“Ken, a moment.” a tall and lean lady called. Her long straight burgundy hair waving elegantly every time she made a movement._

_Without complaint, the director followed the beautiful lady Akari guessed was a fellow senior to the backstage. Nonetheless, Akari shrugged, minding her own business. The crew kept her company, for the time being, holding an impromptu interview all of a sudden. Even though she’d only been there in less than an hour, Akari liked the ambiance so far. She could tell that she would find no difficulty in cooperating with them._

_After the crew had spent some time to get to know each other, the director still hadn’t shown up yet, which led them to slightly worry. “Should I call Yamanaka-san?” Akari took the initiative._

_The other cast exchanged a glance, “Yeah, maybe you should. Thanks for offering, Hirose-san!”_

_Just when she moved closer to the backstage, she could overhear a conversation._

_“... there’s no doubt that you’re more skilled and experienced than Hirose-san, Namie. However, we need Hirose-san’s name in order to garner more audience. If we polish up her acting a little bit more, I can guarantee that this play will be a huge success! A full house as well!”_

_“I can’t believe this... You changed so much, Ken. I can barely recognize you! Where is the old Ken who prioritized the quality of the play over the ticket sales? I don’t know you anymore! I quit!”_

_“No, Namie! You can’t quit... You promised that you’d support me no matter what… It’s not like I totally forget about you, Namie. You’re still my best actress! I’ve secured you a role that isn’t less significant and challenging than the main character. Aren’t you tired of playing the lead role all the time?”_

_“There is no role that will beat the main character, Ken. I don’t care anymore about your play. I quit! Just don’t come to me and beg if that rookie messes up your play.”_

_The stunning senior Akari believed whose name was Namie left the director behind, she bumped into Akari on the way out. Intimidatingly, she ran her eye over the younger girl from head to toe and smirked. “You’ll mess up, won’t you?”_

_Akari wasn’t sure what she meant by that. Who on earth would want to mess things up before they even started it?_

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the chapter that revolves heavily around Akari (and her idol life, also the start of her after school club life). No Tobio here, I hope you don't mind waiting. I promise he'll make an appearance in the next chapter ;)
> 
> Akari was only suggesting that she might suffer from a mental disorder. I've done my research as well. Although I'm not 100% confident with my portrayal of bipolar disorder. Even if my depiction appeared a bit ambiguous here, hopefully, I'll still have the chance to prove you I'm not entirely wrong in the next chapter!
> 
> Ah, have I told you that I split this part into two? Seems like there were more events going around in order to develop Akari's character as a whole. Can't wait to show you the dramatic scene involving the drama club! (no pun intended)
> 
> So, here's the explanation of each OC's role so that it'll make you follow the next chapter without difficulty!  
> Pink Panthers consisted of other 4 members, namely: Yua (trained the longest along with Akari but left the group recently due to personal issues, one of those is bipolar), Karen (the girl with bob hair and the one who provoked Akari), Sumire (the leader), and turns out I haven't named the other one lol (how about we just call her Y/N)
> 
> And from the drama club so far: Yamanaka Ken (the third year who acts as the director), and Namie (the veteran actress). Mega spoiler: Townsperson B might be introduced later (hell yeah! Are you excited?)


	6. A Journey of Self-Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akari is being targeted. Will she maintain her role? Much to her surprise, the advice her therapist gives is unfathomable... How will she fend for herself?

Things went better than she had expected. _She thought. It was the least she could do to build up her confidence._

_“What a great performance, Hirose-san!” The director clapped his hands as soon as he stood up from his seat. “I can’t believe you already memorized all your lines for the first act! I mean, we still have three months until the performance day, but you don’t like to slow things down, do you? I wonder if that’s how a real actor does on camera?”_

_“Thank you, Yamanaka-san. You’re too kind_ — _” Before Akari got the chance to bow her head to express her gratitude, Ken already cut in._

_“Even so, you don’t have to stick to the script all the time, you know? You can improvise, too, if you think it’s necessary.” He suggested. “That way, you’ll bring_ more _life to the dialogue and the character you’re representing.”_

_“Okay,” she answered, her lips curving into a faint smile. “I’ll take that into account for sure.”_

In other words, your acting sucks.

_Behind her back, she caught the other cast whispering._

_“Hey, don’t you think Ken-san is holding it back with Hirose-san? He even complimented her in the beginning! As far as I can remember, he never did that to Namie-san before?”_

_“Well, she_ is _Hirose Akari. No one gets mad at an idol, don’t you think so? And he needs to keep her around to make this show success at last.”_

_For the record, the director she previously worked with never failed to find fault with her acting. She got into trouble for keeping messing up her lines (in her defense, she was too occupied with a concert tour that took place simultaneously). For that reason, she made sure to read the script over and over again until she had committed it to memory. But then again, her attempt to impress the crew was still unsuccessful._

_The only thing she was good at, perhaps, the fact that she didn’t know when to quit._

_The next day. Akari asked Tobio to meet her in the library during lunch. They had another English assignment that was due tomorrow. Ever since she joined the drama club, it had been almost impossible to match their schedules (since Tobio strongly refused to do it alone ahead of time). She had to attend the rehearsal as soon as the class ended, and so did he with the volleyball practice._

_Come to think of it, Tobio never brought up the incident he witnessed the other day ago. It almost seemed like he was pretending to have amnesia all of a sudden._

_“All I have to do is to keep you company, right?” He began, watching her run her eye over her notebook._

_She looked up to face him briefly, “Nope. You’re gonna help me this time.”_

_To her surprise, he didn’t protest. “Sure. Just tell me what to do.”_

_“Oh, I don’t mind taking the lead, to be honest. But, I didn’t attend the last class, remember? So, you're going to tell_ me _what to do.”_

_He frowned, his eyes staring at the ceiling. “The teacher told us to interpret an article. Probably.”_

_“Probably? You’re not even sure?” Hesitating, she tilted her head to the side. “But that will do. Come on! Let’s find an article first.”_

_Without delay, Akari headed toward the nonfiction row to search for the appropriate article. First things first, it had to be less complicated seeing that the deadline was nearing. If truth be told, she was unable to handle the deadline pressure very well._ _I_ _t felt like she was rushed to grab an unspecified important thing inside a room. All she had to do was cross the threshold of the door, yet she somehow noticed that her movements had slowed down greatly when her surroundings was moving at the speed of light. And in the blink of an eye, the door had been shut and she missed her chance._

_It was the last thing she wished to feel. Even the thought of it could send shivers down her spine._

_Her attention riveted to a book whose spine read as 'Journal of Mental Health' before she found herself lost in thought._ _Maybe the journal had the answers she and Yua had been seeking for. Idols are demanded to carry a certain image given by their agencies. On top of that, mental issues were still a taboo topic to be brought up when in public. Coming out with having a mental disorder was pretty much the same as asking their careers to be destroyed. Therefore, their agency only made them go to see a therapist in secret._

_After staring at it for a while, Akari stood on her toes to reach its height._ _Noticing her having a hard time to get through to the book, which was located on the upper shelf, Tobio got hold of it first and withdrew it._

_“You found it already?” He peeked a glance at the cover._ Journal of Mental Health.

_But then, she hurriedly took the book away from him, pressing it close to her chest. “Nope. There’s no way we’re gonna use this. I think you happened to grab the wrong book, Kageyama-kun.”_

_“I haven’t really asked since the last time, but…” He muttered, a tinge of red creeping over his cheeks. “... How are you feeling?”_

_A mischievous grin plastered on her face, “My feeling? Do you want to know how I feel about you, Kageyama-kun?”_

_"Th-that's not what I meant! How could you even get that wrong?" Stuttering, he blushed like mad. "I'm asking about your condition! Not your_ actual _feeling! Which part of my question that is hard to understand?"_

_“Then why were your cheeks so red?” A giggle escaped her mouth. “Actually, I’m feeling better now. Thanks for asking_ —”

_“Whatever! Anyway, I’ll be in the next aisle to save time. Just let me know if you find anything.”_

_If truth be told, she enjoyed Tobio’s company. At first, it was because he only regarded her as an ordinary person, and not as the center of Pink Panthers that everyone admired. She also found his reaction amusing, too, when she gave him fan service. She would've never thought an aloof boy like he is could get swayed so easily! Too bad he wasn't fond of English as much as she was. Personally, she was only interested in English because she found the lyrics of love songs less cringeworthy if sung in English rather than her native language._

_An idea suddenly popped into her mind. Perhaps she could get Tobio to appreciate English more by combining it with something he was keen on, such as volleyball! They could use an article relating to volleyball for this assignment! There and then, she started searching high and low for any sports journals on the shelves._

_It took her some time to find a suitable journal considering the limited time they had left. Before she saw her way to grab the book, all of a sudden, the bookshelf before her, looked as if it was about to collapse, coming down on her. Spontaneously, she stooped, her forehead touching the cold tiles. Meanwhile, she could only hold her breath. Her eyes shut, her heart felt like it almost stopped pumping for a split second. As she sank lower to the floor, she could feel that a stack of books continuously hitting her back. She clenched her fists tight and thought to herself._ Am I going to die here?

_Before long, the books stopped dropping._ And she wasn’t dead yet. _She glanced up to find the top of the shelf stuck to the wall. Seemingly, only the contents had descended, and luckily, not the heavy-looking bookshelf itself because it might have gotten her killed, otherwise._

_“Hirose! Hey! Can you hear me?” Tobio kneeled outside the aisle, his gaze still reflecting shock._

_“Oh, dear! Are you all right?” The librarian exclaimed in horror. The older lady extended her hand, “Can you crawl out? Here, let me help you get back up.”_

_As soon as Akari rose to her feet, the librarian inspected the fallen bookshelf, her hand stroking her chin. “Hmm, it seems like I must have assembled the books too cramped on the upper shelf. Say, dear, were you trying to take out one of the books of the upper shelf?”_

_“Um, yes. But I—”_

_“I told you I was in the next aisle! Why didn’t you call me if you needed any help?” Tobio glared._

_“Don’t be so hard on her, young man.” Commented the librarian. “Accidents can happen at any time.”_

But, is it really an accident though? _Akari doubted that._

_As the librarian was trying to pick up the fallen bookshelf, Tobio, without being asked, moved toward the bookshelf to help prop it up. Surprisingly, it was light as a feather._

_“Oh, what a gentleman!” She winked at Akari before she walked away, “He’s a real keeper!”_

_… Which led her cheeks to flush vaguely, “I’m sorry that you have to keep seeing me like this…”_

_“It’s fine.” He then noticed fresh blood came forth from her knee, her socks ripped. “Hirose, your knee’s bleeding. Let’s get you to the infirmary.”_

_By the next incident, she was certain that she was being targeted._

_During PE class, the students took turns to play softball on the court._ _The male students played first, while the girls waited by the side of the court. Akari, on the other hand, just returned from the bathroom. Just when she traveled by the court before entering, one of the male students shouted from inside._

_“Akari-chan! Can you get the ball?”_

_Without suspicion, she glimpsed the ball that rolled past her, ready to fetch it. But then, when she crouched down to pick up the ball, she heard another voice._

_“Hirose! Watch out!”_

_Before she knew it, her body was being slammed down by force. She didn’t close her eyes this time. She caught sight of the flower pot falling down gradually before it hit the ground as if it were played in a slow-motion mode._ Oh, no. How did it happen? I messed it up. I’m such a mess! _At that point in time, all she could hear was a sharp throb in her ear to the point that she was unable to make out the sound of the flowerpot dashing into pieces as it let gravity reign over it._

You’ll mess up, won’t you? _All of a sudden, Namie’s voice was the only thing she could hear._

_“Hey! Earth to Hirose!”_

_Little did she know that she made it unhurt was thanks to Tobio who managed to push her off so that the flowerpot wouldn’t fall upon her head. Be that as it may, she was landing on her back, Tobio’s body on top of her. His hot breath brushing against her cheeks, he was panting. For a split second, their eyes met. It was the moment when she noticed his eyes were the deepest hue of blue and not onyx._

_Realizing they were in an awkward position, Tobio hurriedly picked himself up. “So-sorry.”_

_At a stroke, her cheeks reddened. Her face never got so close to a boy's before. “Don’t be. I should’ve thanked you first.”_

_“Can you stand by yourself—"_

_“Kageyama-kun,” she interrupted, face all pale. “Did you see someone threw down the flowerpot from above?”_

_“Huh?” He answered, his expression becoming serious. “You think someone might have done it on purpose?”_

_“Just a feeling.” She added, “Anyway, I gotta go. Before the culprit makes a run for it.”_

_Immediately, she rushed off without turning back, leaving Tobio behind. She climbed up the stairs in haste, checking out the balcony on every floor, which only met with disaster in the end. The culprit had vanished without a trace._

_The culprit wasn’t bad herself. She let her target think that she had done pulling pranks on her, when in fact, she was only waiting for the right moment to make a comeback._

_Before the rehearsal began, Akari took the time to go to the bathroom. As she stepped into the bathroom, she walked past a row of empty bathroom stalls before deciding to enter the furthest one. Once she had done relieving herself and made sure that her skirt had been zipped up, a bucket of cold water poured all over her, soaking through her hair and uniform. In a little while, the sound of laughter echoed. Judging by the ruckus they made, she estimated there were at least three people outside the stall. Besides, there was no way Namie alone was capable of playing a prank that perfectly without the help of her sidekicks._

_If truth be told, Akari couldn’t wait to meet the other two. Having said that, she only planned to come out of her stall until their laughter subsided. By the time the three put an end to their act of laughing, they knocked on the door repeatedly, panicked that their victim hadn’t shown signs of being alive. Akari only opened the door just when one of them was about to break the door._

_“I thought you were dying…” One of them revealed, her face losing its color. “I don’t care what’s your beef with her, Namie-san. But I don’t want to get involved in a murder attempt! I’m signing off!”_

_Namie grumbled, rolling her eyes. “Coward…” She turned to her other friend, “What about you? I’m giving you the last chance to walk out.”_

_“I… I’ll be outside then!”_

_“Fine. Make sure to not let anyone in.” Namie ordered before her friend fled._

_“It’s just the two of us now, Akari-chan.” A smug smile appeared on her face. “I wonder how will you go back to the auditorium all-drenched like this?”_

_“What is your problem, Namie-san?” Confronted Akari, eyes burning with anger. “Did you try to injure me because you know I’m doing so well as the female lead right now?”_

_“You said you were doing so well? Don’t make me laugh!” Namie let out a mocking laugh. “Well, I heard a lot about you from the other cast. They said your acting is terrible! Your delivery is flat as a board. Are you sure you’re not just reciting your dialogue?”_

_Like a predator in pursuit of prey, Namie moved around Akari, her hand touching the end of Akari’s hair. “I really hate people like you, you know? A jack of all trades and a master of none. Didn’t you claim yourself to be an idol? Why don’t you just stick to singing or dancing so that you at least have something you can brag about other than your pretty little face?”_

_On the spur of the moment, Akari’s brain created a lifelike illusion in which she was being transported into a familiar empty space. She was all by herself, swarmed in a sea of people whose faces she couldn’t recognize. They were whispering, pointing fingers at her._

_‘She only has her looks.’_

_‘She’s all about pretty face.’_

_‘Without her face, she’s good for nothing.’_

Screw them. Screw all of them!

_“Screw you! I’m not just about pretty face! I can sing. I can dance. I can act. I can do anything I want if I try hard enough! It’s just that I don’t have the energy these days because the likes of you keep finding fault with everything I do! I’m sick and tired of pretending to be okay every goddamn time! What does me being an idol have to do with your freaking inferiority complex, Namie-san? Do you think you can keep pushing me around and expect me to do nothing about it just because I’m an idol? Well, kiss my ass! Screw this image! I don’t care anymore. I don’t give a damn about the musical play as well. I quit!”_

_Warm tears streamed down Akari’s cheeks as she exited the bathroom. Throughout her retreat, she only looked down at her feet, unbothered by the strange look given by Namie’s underling._

The therapist paused, studying his patient carefully. “So, you gave up on your role?”

Akari only nodded weakly.

“But is that what you truly want? What about being an idol? Do you still want to do it?”

“I… I don’t know…” She let out a sigh. “I’m too fed up with people speaking ill of me, but at the same time, a part of me still misses the feeling of being on the stage. Even if there are many people who can’t stand the sight of me, I still have my family and my fans who have supported me after all this time. I don’t want to let them down… I know how horrible the stigma of having a mental disorder in Japan. And I remember how much I had to put up with Yua-san back then. What if I’m having an episode in front of my fans? I can’t let them find out…”

“Hey, calm down, Hirose-san. Let’s not leap to a conclusion yet, okay? Breathe in and breathe out…” The therapist guided her to relax. After a while, he continued. “Now that we’re good, I have to tell you my honest opinion on your situation in the hopes it will take a turn for the better. Here’s my two cents, you don’t have bipolar, Hirose-san. Perhaps you’ve been suggesting that because you had been hanging around with Yua-san too much, which you have confirmed to be diagnosed with bipolar.”

“That being said, it’s actually a good sign to be aware of your mental state in advance, Hirose-san. You realize how it will impact your loved ones because you don’t want to disappoint them. It may put pressure on you at first, but let’s change that way of thinking to ‘I have to do well so that they can be proud of me’.” The therapist showed Akari a portrait of a nuclear family consisting of three on his desk. The parents were holding their daughter’s hands, happiness drawn all over their faces. “I have a daughter who looks up to you. Her name is Koharu, she just turned 4 a couple of days ago. Even though I’m not around at home as often as her mother, I can tell she’s a big fan of yours. Your group’s songs are all she hums everywhere she goes. She will copy your every movement whenever you appear on TV. To her, you’re not just a pretty face. You’re a beautiful girl who has many talents, a good sense of humor, and a heart of gold. You’ve become a role model for my daughter and many other young people. Isn’t that why idols are produced? To inspire the people around them.”

Tears welled up Akari’s eyes, her lips forming a smile. “Oh, no. Why haven’t you told me that your daughter is a fan of mine? I shouldn’t have gotten it off my chest in the first place... Will you still allow your daughter to idolize me after knowing I’m this messed up?”

“You’re not a mess, Hirose-san. You’re just human. Being an idol shouldn’t take that part away from you.” The therapist leaned back against his chair, “I wish you could try new things, Hirose-san. It doesn’t have to be something risky—it only requires you to experience different things in order to expand your perspective on what this life has to offer. You can try meeting new people and build bonds with them, or simply discovering new hobbies or new interests. That being so, you’ll get to break the same old routine you’ve been stuck with. I genuinely advise you to take a break from the showbiz for the time being and begin a journey of self-discovery, Hirose-san.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm a week late, but it's because of my internship. (Yay for being employed!) Anyway, the other reason I delayed the update was that I'm not confident enough with the flow of this chapter. I still feel like it's kinda rushed, but we don't want to be stuck in the depressing phase for too long. As the title of this story suggests "Where There is Light", there must be shadow (quoted by Haruki Murakami), I know I promise fluff for this story, but there should be a little bit of angst to amplify the drama, don't you think so? ;) And surprise, Akari doesn't have bipolar! She just mistook it, ya know. So no wrong portrayal from me hehe
> 
> As promised, I included Kags in this chapter! I miss that beautiful boy so much... Anyway, thanks for reading!


	7. Same Boat, Different Cabins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Tobio showed Akari how he got back up from an ordeal, and how his heart only beats for volleyball.

The therapy session felt like an eternity. It wasn't as effective either since the therapist only suggested her to 'start a journey of self-discovery' in the end. What did he mean by that? Did he mean that she wasn't being herself now?

Perhaps becoming an idol affected her in a way that made her forget who she truly was. Seeing that there was an image she had to project to appeal more to the public. Did that also mean her true self wasn't as appealing?

There were still too many questions she had to find the answers herself.

Her manager only dropped her off in the apartment before he departed to pick up another member somewhere. There were five of them, and they had to share one manager as a group. She never got the chance to ask Takagaki which he found the hardest to deal with, though. The least she could do was to wish it wasn't her, except that she pretended to be asleep in her room when in reality, she was taking a stroll along the riverside.

She wasn't as stupid to let herself be spotted by a fan in a peaceful afternoon. She had grabbed one of the black hoodies that was hooked onto the door without looking. As long as it was able to cover her striking-colored hair, she felt secured.

In a little while, she found herself staring into space by the riverside. Until she noticed a certain comet goldfish that jumped out of the river from time to time as if it was trying to draw her attention. She couldn't help but get closer to the river, finally aware that the goldfish was the sole breed among its school.

"Are you lonely, too?" She wondered.

But then, she recalled a well-known finding which stated that a goldfish could only remember things for three meaningful seconds. _Isn't that great?_ She thought to herself. At least, it wouldn't feel lonely for a prolonged time. Be that as it may, it saddened her at the same time. She thought she'd seen herself in the goldfish for trying so hard to blend in the shoal of trout fish, who were of a different breed. Then again, had it been one of the trout fish from the start, Akari wouldn't have been able to discern it. The goldfish was discovered through its distinctiveness.

Suddenly, when the goldfish was pulling another stunt by leaping out of the water, a crow soared over the river and abruptly snatched the goldfish with its claws.

Her eyes widened in surprise. The goldfish was outclassing its school, and its action only led it to be caught by a crow. Would she end up like that? Would she get hurt too if she persisted in being determined to succeed?

"Hirose," called a familiar voice out of nowhere. "What are you doing? You're standing too close to the river."

Akari turned around her body in horror, only to find Tobio in his sports gear, his hair drenched in sweats. "How were you able to recognize me? I'm wearing a disguise."

"I can't recognize you from the back, but I can recognize the hoodie you're wearing. I lent it to you, remember?"

It only jogged her memory until now. She came across Tobio the other days ago just after Namie and her underlings got her uniform all soaked, leaving her with no choice but to go home with her wet clothes revealing her underwear and pressing against her curves. It wasn't a big deal for her at first. She had posed in a bikini for a magazine before, so what made it differ from walking around in underwear?

 _"Put this on."_ He tossed the hoodie carelessly, face turning away. _"... you'll catch a cold."_

She really didn't get him sometimes.

"Ah, you're right. So, you came to get your hoodie? Wait a minute—"

Just when she was about to take off the hoodie in front of him, he stopped her. "It's all right. Just give it back to me tomorrow or any other day."

The sun sank lower into the horizon, golden rays reflecting on the surface of the water. The night had begun to fall. As the cold air brushed against her uncovered skin, she pushed her hands into the pockets. "Why are you here, Kageyama-kun? What about practice?"

"The drama club was rehearsing at the gym today. I was surprised to find you here instead."

That was new to her. But what right did she have to acquire information on it sooner? She handed in her notice not on good terms, only letting one of the extras she met on the street know that she quitted, omitting the reasons why she left. The other cast was probably cursing at her right now, whereas Namie was celebrating her stepping down. She could've bet her life that it was her idea as well to run through in the gym when they already got their own practice room.

"I didn't even attend any of the classes today. The teachers would be disappointed if they found out I only showed up for the club rehearsal." She lied, a smile decorating her face.

There was a pause. "Actually, I quitted the drama club. I don't think I'm ready yet to play as the main character in my musical theatre debut."

"It doesn't add up," he frowned. "You lie so much, but how come you still consider yourself as a bad actress?"

"I'm a terrible liar. That's why I'm a bad actress." She turned to him, glaring. "I never said I was a bad actress! But maybe you're right... since I'm not a good actress either. Still, if you're gonna say something so brutally honest to me, give me a warning beforehand, so I've prepared my heart!"

He gave her a blank look before he got to react, "My bad."

"You don't sound so sincere."

"Are you on your period?"

"What?" She yelled; cheeks flushed with a tinge of pink. "What does it have to do with you?"

"... Don't girls nag a lot when they're on their period?"

Surprisingly, she broke into a smile. "What are you? A girl expert now?"

The corner of his lips twitched upward. If he were to call it by a name, her smile was somewhat contagious. Silently, he seated himself on the grass with his legs straightened, allowing them to relax. "Are you coming to school tomorrow?"

"I suppose so," she answered as she joined him in sitting down, knees bent. "Has Minaho-sensei said anything about our assignment?"

"There are a few revisions have to be made. We'll also have to present it in front of the class after the Golden Week. We still got time."

"Yeah..." She let out a long sigh as she took a seat beside him. "Hey, Kageyama-kun. Do you find me... greedy?"

He paused for a moment, trying to be careful with his words. "I can't say much, but you tend to do all the work on your own."

"It's not like I have any other options—"

"I'm a greedy person, too. What's wrong with being greedy?"

"Of course, it's not right!" She lowered her head as soon as she realized that she'd been raising her voice. She muttered, "Since people find fault with it."

"It doesn't matter what they think." He looked her in the eye, eyes reflecting disbelief. "Is that why you quitted the drama club?"

She nodded weakly. There was no use in hiding the truth anyway.

"It makes sense now... why there was no one behind me to catch my toss..."

Unable to make out what he voiced; she only tilted her head to the side. "Kageyama-kun, are you okay? I couldn't hear what you said earlier, but you look... unhappy, all of a sudden."

Abruptly, Tobio rose to his feet, shifting his gaze toward her. "After school tomorrow, come to the gym with me."

"What? Did Ken-san ask you to drag me into the rehearsal? Then, I don't want to!"

"Ken? Who? I don't know anyone named Ken on the volleyball team." He furrowed his eyebrows in bewilderment. "You're going to watch me practice tomorrow."

* * *

By watching him practice, Akari imagined that she would at least sit comfortably on the bench while cheering for him and the other players by the court. Who would have thought that Tobio forgot to tell her that she wasn't allowed to enter the gym and the only possible way to make it happen was by peeking through a tiny hole?

"Kageyama-kun, are you sure this is the closest spot where I can see you practice? But the only thing I can see is their shoes!" Akari protested.

"Yes, because this isn't an open practice. Outsiders aren't allowed to watch it, let alone record it with a video camera. You can only observe it with the naked eye." He explained passionately. "I'm not good at it, but should I introduce everyone by their shoes?"

She looked briefly at the black shoes with streaks of gold that Tobio was wearing, and then back at her brown loafers, already comparing the size difference without knowing.

"It's fine... I'll learn all of the shoes by heart."

"Suit yourself." In a little while, the sound of a whistle was heard, notifying that the practice was about to begin. "I'll go inside then."

The players started warming up as soon as they were gathered. Similar to dancing, her dance coach never failed to remind her how essential warm-ups were. Having said that, the heads-up only came in handy once she had experienced a sprained ankle a couple of hours before the show started. It must be the same as sports.

What amazed her was they didn't appear like they had a coach to instruct them, yet they still managed to do all the routines progressively. In that case, they must have been led by an outstanding captain. Akari tried to sink lower so that she was able to catch sight of the captain's face, not expecting herself to be shouted at the attempt.

"Who's there?"

Never in her life, she pictured herself to be situated in this position. She is an idol. The center of Japan's hottest girl group! She was used to being stalked and getting her privacy invaded, but not when the role was reversed!

She had nowhere to go.

"Hirose Akari?!"

"A-Akari-ch-chan?"

"I'm being noticed by an idol? This thing only happens in dreams, right?"

"Everyone, be quiet!" Ordered one of the players who gave off a wise aura. His voice softened when he was addressing her, "Are you looking for someone, Hirose-san?"

But then, the other player with a shaved head and evil eyes chimed in. "Kageyama! It's you, right? How dare you make a lady wait outside and still call yourself a man?"

Spontaneously, everyone turned around at once, locating Tobio who was trying to keep his presence to a minimum by hiding behind a teammate who was much shorter than him. It was such a wrong movement, though. Even the player he used as a shield had ridiculously vibrant hair that one couldn't easily divert one's attention from.

One of the players looked back at her before the others followed suit. "Are you Kageyama's girlfriend?"

All eyes on her, waiting for an honest answer. On the other hand, Tobio was shaking his head helplessly. Akari threw a glance at the players and accidentally made eye contact with a familiar face.

"What? No! I'm an idol. I don't have time to date!" She laughed nervously. "Actually, I'm here for Kei-kun. Kei-kun! Why did you never come say hi to me when we go to the same school?"

"Kei-kun? As in Tsukishima Kei?" The rest of the players turned to the tallest boy in the room.

"Tsukishima, too? Damn it! Why am I the only one who got no connection to Hirose Akari?"

"I know how you feel, Hinata." The boy with freckles on his cheeks faced Tsukishima. "Tsukki! You never said you were friends with a celebrity!"

"Because I really am not her friend," the blond denied as he cast a glance at Tobio. "Maybe the King has a good explanation to be made—"

"Enough, Tsukishima." The brunette who appeared to be the captain meddled. "I'm sorry, Hirose-san. Even if you came here with a good intention, we're in the middle of practice right now. It would be much more appreciated if you can come back again after we finish—"

"Don't be so strict, Sawamura. As you said, it's only practice!" Defended the silvery-haired boy. "She's a student at Karasuno as well, why don't we hold an open practice once in a while? Geez, this is why the volleyball team is the least popular among the other sports clubs!"

"I think Suga-san got a point, Daichi-san. We should let others watch our practice from now on. I'm confident it will help some of us deal with stage fright when we're faced with a real match one day." The droopy-eyed player commented.

The captain eyed the calm lady beside him, "What do you think, Shimizu?"

"I don't mind." She answered.

"Alright then, it's decided." A welcoming smile spread across his lips. "Hirose-san, have you watched a volleyball game before?"

"I haven't. This would be my first time." Akari replied cheerfully.

The captain dissolved into laughter, "I don't mean to disappoint you, but we still have to work on some drills before starting the game. Shimizu here is the manager. If you have some questions, don't hesitate to ask her."

"Okay, guys. Let's carry on with our—"

"Captain! Tanaka's nose is bleeding!"

Daichi approached the guy with a buzz cut, handing him tissues. "Tanaka! Are you all right? Can you continue?"

"I'm all right. No need to worry! This nosebleed is actually caused by excitement."

The other player looked at Tanaka in suspicion, "You're not having any dirty thoughts, are you?"

"Of course not!"

The players continued to bicker until their captain had to step in, fumed with anger. The practice resumed with the players ignoring the existence of the idol (or else, the captain would be even more furious). Starting with running around the neighborhood—at first, Akari hesitated whether to join them or not, but the thought of washing her uniform late at night discouraged her. Thankfully, it didn't take the team long to return to the gym after a round of running. One thing that she couldn't help but notice was how Tobio and his little friend always competed for the first place.

The competition still carried on throughout the whole practice session. Before Akari knew it, the team already formed two lines where they also had to stand behind the end line of the court. At the same time, Tobio and the silvery-haired senior stood close to the net and were expected to toss the ball up so that the other players could hit it to the other side of the court.

 _So, this is the role that he keeps bragging about..._ A setter. She wasn't quite familiar with it, but it seemed that the role wasn't less important just because they didn't directly score for the team. However, if the role was taken out, the team wouldn't be able to gain any point that being the case.

Seemingly, volleyball is all about teamwork.

"Kageyama! Can you try tossing a little bit higher after this?" Demanded one of the upperclassmen.

Surprisingly, Tobio was able to receive it well. "Sure, I'll give it a try."

Once the orange-haired boy reached the front line, he announced, "Attention, guys! Kageyama and I would like to awe you with a quick set we came up with! Please look forward to it!" He glanced at Tobio, "Make sure you don't mess up!"

Tobio smirked, "Speak for yourself, Dumbass."

The vertically challenged boy sprinted before he leaped. One thing that couldn't go unnoticed was the fact that the boy was closing his eyes when the ball got to his hand. As if all of his strength had been gathered on his palm, he pushed the ball forward as it broke through the other side at warp speed and fell to the ground.

"I didn't really get how it worked, but that was incredible, Hinata! Kageyama!"

Even the players couldn't tell how it did the trick, Akari who had only watched a volleyball game up close for the first time didn't bother to find out. However, she caught sight of the triumphant face Tobio was making as their quick-set attack pushed through the other side. It was an expression he'd never shown before. If truth be told, she only got to witness a new side of him when he was playing volleyball. The way he looked at the ball was different—his eyes burning somehow. Much to her surprise, he also put a decent effort into communicating with his teammates, which was a rare sight. Except for Tsukishima, Tobio seemed to be getting along with everyone just fine.

"We can win against Seijoh at this rate!" Exclaimed the other player.

"Hey, Kageyama. Some of the Seijoh players went to Kitagawa Daiichi, right? How do they play?"

"They're strong. We shouldn't let our guard down." Tobio answered.

"Kageyama's right. Seijoh is a formidable opponent. They're also strong individually—each of them could become the aces of other teams." Daichi explained. "Even so, the team couldn't be at where they are now without the command of their current captain, who plays as a setter, Oikawa Tooru."

"Oikawa-san is an all-around player. He is renowned for his powerful jump serves. I even learned how to do jump serves by watching him practice." Tobio added.

"Kageyama learning jump serves from Oikawa-san... Does it make him the Great King?" Responded Hinata without thinking.

"Shut up, Hinata dumbass!" Tobio barked.

"I heard Oikawa injured his leg during his last match. I don't think he'll be able to participate in the practice match..." One of the upperclassmen wondered. "But it's strange. Since Oikawa was the one requesting to make Kageyama the setter."

"Who cares? He has a horrible personality anyway. Even more horrible than that guy!" Tobio pointed at Tsukishima.

"Are you sure you're not talking about yourself, King?" The guy in question defended himself.

"Kageyama, Tsukishima! Stop it before I make you run another round!" The captain gave a threatening look before facing the rest of the team. "That's it for today. Good job for today, everyone! You can go home after cleaning up the gym. Be sure to rest your body well!"

The boy named Hinata came forward, "Captain! Kageyama and I probably will stay here a bit late to practice more. Is that okay?"

Akari frowned at the sight of Tobio and his friend heading to the ball storage, about to pick up more. _Are they not tired at all?_ Before her eyes got to follow them further, her vision was hindered by the sudden appearances of the rest of the volleyball team members.

"Akari-chan! Do you like our play?"

"Who do you think is the best player? It's me, right? I'm Tanaka Ryuunosuke, second-year! I'm your _senpai_. If you need anything, you know where to find me—"

"Akari-san! Can I shake your hand?"

"Guys, I can't hear you very clearly if you're talking at once..." Her attention riveted to a specific four-eyed blond who casually walked past her. "Kei-kun! Where are you going?"

"Ah, are you talking to me? Why would an idol talk to a commoner like me? Of course, I'm going home. It's too loud here." Tsukishima put on his headphones as he exited the gym.

"Tsukki! Wait for me!" The boy with freckles tailed him, leaving the crowd behind.

"Hinata to the rescue!" The orange-haired boy who introduced himself as Hinata squeezed in the crowd and raised his hand high to grab the attention. "Akari-san, mind joining us? We need a helping hand!"

She threw a glance at Tobio and found him nodding. "Sounds fun!"

"That's not fair, Hinata! Can't you see we're talking to her right now?"

"Why don't you guys join us as well? We can talk after we're done. Besides, the more the merrier!"

"I want to! But, man, I'm so beat..." Tanaka turned to Akari, "Akari-chan! Will you come again tomorrow?"

"Am I allowed to do that?"

"Well, we still need Daichi-san's approval." Tanaka scratched the back of his head before spinning his body around, facing the door. "I'll be going on ahead. Good work today, everybody!"

"Thanks for your hard work!" The team said in unison before going their separate ways.

"That's Karasuno for you." Hinata began as he stuck out his hand, suggesting a handshake. "Ah, I haven't really introduced myself. The name's Hinata Shouyou. I'm from class 1. You're in the same class as Kageyama, right?"

Akari took hold of his hand, "Hirose Akari. Yes, we're in the same class."

"It's getting late. Let's go home." Tobio suggested, which raised suspicion. Didn't he say he would practice a little bit more?

"We lied about asking you to practice with us. It's only a trick to get you off the crowd. Thought you might need it." Hinata whispered, "To tell you the truth, it was Kageyama's idea."

It didn't bother Akari at first. If truth be told, she didn't mind waiting until Tobio finished his second training since she enjoyed watching him play. Volleyball looked fascinating, but because she had no clue about the basic rules even, the only things she could tell were the dynamics among the players and the passion they shared for volleyball.

It brought her back to when she was still actively performing on the stage.

Their return trip was more enjoyable than she expected. Hinata had a very likable personality, which would entice anyone to adopt him as a pocket friend that you didn't wish to be separated from. He was talkative, but not nosy. Humorous, yet humble. The type of friend you never thought would get along with Tobio. Akari wouldn't regard them as best friends, though... seeing that all they did since the three of them departed from school was bicker... endless bickering. Sometimes, she was put in a position where she had to pick sides, and of course, she was indecisive.

The time had come when they had to part ways with Hinata. She heard that he still had to climb a few hills until he reached home.

The time when Hinata left was also known as the time when Akari had to come up with a topic to be brought up. Unless she was comfortable with the awkward silence that surrounded them.

"Kageyama-kun," she called him. "I'm still wondering what intention you had to get me to watch you practice. Did you just want to show off how good you are?"

"Don't be ridiculous. If I wanted to show off so bad, I should've brought you to a national scale game instead," he denied. "As you heard, we're having a practice match with Aobajohsai, a powerhouse school this weekend. I knew some of the players, in fact, we went to the same middle school, but we aren't on good terms now."

Akari clammed up, letting him state further. "I... I only wanted the best for the team, doing what I had to do as a setter. They didn't like it. They didn't like how I played. They didn't like _me_. When I set the ball up in the air during our last game, hoping that someone would catch it and score with it, nobody was there. The ball dropped to the floor and the sound of the whistle rang in my ear. The coach subbed me out in the middle of the game. Long story short, we failed to win and I still blamed myself for it because it was our last game in middle school."

She watched him in silence, reading the expression drawn on his face. It was sorrow.

"But it didn't stop me from playing volleyball. At first, I was afraid of the same thing happening again. That's why I turned down the invitation to come to Aobajohsai because I knew most of my former teammates would go there. It's only a matter of time for me to face them anyway. In our upcoming match, I want to show them how much I've improved, not only as a player but as an individual as well—and make them regret ever turning their backs on me."

"My point is, Hirose, if you're passionate enough about something, loving it so much to the point you can't live without doing it, you won't have time to listen to what others say about you. Just because they don't like what you're doing, it doesn't mean you should stop what you're doing. I hope you come to realize it someday."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone! I'm back with a new chapter. So sorry for the delay... I just started my internship and only got time to write recently (thanks to quarantine!). So yeah, that's chapter 7 for you. I made it long to make up for the delay. I hope you like it! Finally, Akari got to meet the rest of Karasuno team. And since the main characters here are Akari and Tobio, I will keep addressing the other characters with their surnames.
> 
> Tell me what you think about this chapter!


	8. The Idol's Sister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobio got into a fight with Akari before Shiori, Akari's orthopedist sister enters the scene and fixes the broken bond. Apart from giving Akari a roof over her head, that's only a little part of being the elder sister. Akari owes her sister so much... She thought delivering the special item she left at home would be enough, but she ends up meeting an unexpected couple.

"Is it just me or you're ignoring me on purpose?"

Tobio glared at the girl across him, snorting in disgust. _Playing the fool, aren't we?_ It was getting late. Neither of them was informed that the library closed early on Friday. Before the teen idol insisted that they would be revising the current English assignment at her place, she invited herself to the volleyball practice without him knowing—using a promise that had to be kept as an excuse.

Tanaka and the other players might've persuaded him to introduce the idol on hiatus that happened to be his classmate. As much as Tobio found the request exasperating, he had his reason why he decided to bring Akari along to the volleyball practice, namely he didn't have the heart to see her sacrifice her passion for music to impossibly please everyone. But then, she got too excited when the reaction his team showed exceeded her expectations and believed that joining in the practice was a good idea.

If truth be told, it wouldn't be much of a big deal if she could pick a better time, certainly not when their practice match against Aobajohsai would be held the day after.

The time that was ideally spent on the warm-up was wasted by irrelevant introductions made by the other players. It goes without saying that the ones who never interacted with girls before were the loudest. Just when Tobio looked for the third-years, spotting the vice-captain among the crowd that surrounded the uninvited idol was the last thing he expected, hence he approached Daichi, hoping that he wouldn't be affected by the idol's charm.

_"It can't be helped. At first, I thought Hirose-san's presence would motivate them more, not expecting it would turn the other way round. I should've known better."_

At least, the captain had a good intention. Even though the likes of Tanaka were unlikely to keep his pants on around girls. Yes, girls. Tobio believed they didn't have to be specifically attractive, though.

_"Kageyama! Can you toss a little bit higher?"_ Tanaka requested at first.

Tobio granted his request by the next time he set to him. However, Tanaka's palm barely touched the ball, causing it to fail to break through the other side.

_"My bad. Kageyama! The toss was too high. Can you lower it a little?"_

_"There's nothing wrong with my toss! It's just you who aren't focused."_

_"Kageyama, you piece of shit!"_

The shave-headed junior wasn't behaving accordingly, why would Tobio have to feel bad for calling him out? A punch almost landed on his cheek if the other second-years hadn't hold Tanaka back.

Still, Tobio couldn't determine which irritated him more—Tanaka's unsatisfying performance or Akari's insensitivity to sabotage their practice routine before the big day. Probably the latter.

"Kageyama-kun," she called again. "I know you're mad, but why are you taking it all on me?"

At last, he failed to bottle it up by himself and ended up raising his voice louder than he intended to. "Who told you to come? Didn't I tell you we're having a practice match tomorrow?"

"Tanaka-san said that the door is always open for me." Akari folded her arms, unhappy. "Besides, I didn't have anywhere to go while waiting for the practice to end."

His jaw clenched tight before he spat his anger out. "It doesn't mean you could distract the other players and interfere with the practice! Didn't you hear that we'd be up against my former teammates from middle school? It's clearly not just a friendly practice match for me! I have my pride to be maintained and I have to make sure that our team won't mess up tomorrow!"

She rolled her eyes in annoyance. It was the first time he'd ever seen her fight back. "Who the hell are you to tell me what to do? Daichi-san didn't even seem to have a problem with it..."

"Because Daichi-san doesn't have to prove himself tomorrow! Daichi-san wasn't betrayed by his former teammates and Daichi-san wasn't directly challenged by the opposing team!"

"Then is it my fault too that your current teammates don't bear the same weight as you do? I thought volleyball was all about teamwork..." her gaze shifted toward the marked paper that was yet to be revised, lying helplessly on the coffee table. "If you think you can bear so much weight on your own, then do the assignment on your own! I'm so fed up with you making no effort and depending on me when it's supposed to be our responsibility together!"

Akari got up from her position and turned around for the last time. "Do whatever you want with it! I don't give a damn! I don't want to see your stupid face anymore!"

She escaped to her room as she slammed the door shut.

What a perfect day! Their last practice didn't result in higher confidence in winning the game and now, the only person he could entrust his English grade with had ditched him.

What a perfect day.

His hands curled up into balls. One of them was an inch away from breaking the glass coffee table in front of him until the sound of the door unlocking reminded him that he had no right of possession to damage it.

A lady in a high ponytail revealed herself. At a glance, Tobio could tell that she was somehow related to his idol friend. He couldn't pronounce how resembling their facial features were since she stood a distance away from him (has he mentioned that Akari's apartment was larger than he'd imagined?). But as the lady in question stood under the lamplight, he recognized that her hair was probably a shade darker than Akari's and height taller by a few inches.

The homeowner sighed, "I didn't come home to witness a couple about to file a divorce, you know..." She continued, turning to the guest. "Oh well, where did my little sister run away to this time?"

Well. Akari did mention she had older siblings when she was presenting herself for the first time to the whole class, but Tobio didn't anticipate that he would meet one of them sooner.

"To her room," Tobio answered, frowning.

"Good riddance. At least, we don't have to call the police." The older lady put her bag on the counter height table bordering the kitchen and the dining room. "The name's Hirose Shiori. I'm Akari's elder sister. You got a name?"

"Kageyama Tobio."

"I'm gonna call you Tobio-kun since I'm older. You're allowed to simply call me Shiori-san while I'm not in the clinic. A friend of Akari's is a friend of mine as well."

"Actually, we're just classmates." Tobio corrected.

"Is that so? Too bad. I can't consider you my classmate then." Shiori sneaked a peek at the two empty mugs on the coffee table while she was scanning through inside the refrigerator. "Help yourself, Tobio-kun. Look what we got here—oh, never mind. Someone forgot to do grocery shopping and since Akari can't go out on her own, the blame is on me!"

Tobio stared at his assignment angrily, unable to concentrate because of the background noise the older Hirose was providing. It was only fair to say the talkative genes ran in the family... Although Akari was still on a tolerable level.

Without realizing, Shiori had stood in front of him, studying the paper he couldn't take his eyes off. "Is that the assignment the two of you were working on? What subject is it?"

The younger boy didn't put up a fight when the homeowner suddenly seized the piece of paper and examined it. "English." He replied, uninterested.

"Let's see... What are the instructions?"

"We were told to pick an article and come up with our own interpretation of it. The teacher wants us to present it in front of the class next week."

_"The Importance of Teamwork in Sports,"_ Shiori read the title before flipping through the paper. "I've skimmed through the original article and compared it to your translation. I must admit that I'm impressed with the fact that two high schoolers would opt for this sort of heavy-going article, but it feels like you failed to deliver the main idea of the author."

"Now, can you tell me how you interpret this article, Tobio-kun?"

Tobio froze, "Err... I'm not sure. To tell you the truth, Hirose did most of the work."

"When you guys picked an article about teamwork but didn't practice it in real life. Oh, the irony..." Commented Shiori. "Wait. Is it really all my sister's doing? No wonder it doesn't make sense."

Tobio's eyeballs moved around in circular motion as if he was anticipating the younger sister would burst open the door and throw a fit. The older sister had to console him, "No need to get so worked up. She's probably putting on earphones and listening to some American pop in her room. I already told her that listening to English songs wouldn't help her much with her English."

"It's not like I only wanted to leech off her hard work... It's just that... mastering English isn't on the top list of my priority right now. I mean, we're Japanese and we live in Japan. I don't see the urgency of learning it right now."

"Hmm, have you ever gone overseas on your own, Tobio-kun?"

"Nope. I've never even gone away from Japan with my family."

"Maybe that's why you don't think learning English is of importance right now. You know, English has been named the international language of the world. Even if you go to a country whose name you never heard of, as long as you can speak basic English and be shameless enough to use body language all the time, you should be fine." Shiori glanced up at the ceiling and smiled to herself. "This conversation reminds me of Akari's trainee days. You must've been fed up with this story by now, but since her agency was based in South Korea, she had to go there from time to time to present for the monthly evaluations."

"She cried all the time when she was calling home. She said that the staff was strict and cold. She even had a hard time communicating with them. But I told her she was actually lucky to be sent off to South Korea since our language is kinda similar to them..."

It was the first time Tobio heard of that. The Pink Panthers was undeniably popular and he had been in the same class with Akari for more than a month now (although the time they breathed in the same air was still pale in comparison to the time of her absence). Having said that, he never bothered to familiarize himself with the idol turned English partner.

The only thing he was informed of her passion for performing arts, but not the blood, sweats, and tears she had to pour to get to where she is now.

"How do you think I can improve this, Hirose-san?"

"We live in an era of advanced technologies, Tobio-kun. Use translation apps or a dictionary if needed. There you go. You don't have to be too dependent on my sister. Wait. Why do I sound like I'm siding against my sister?" After strolling around in the narrow living room for a while, the older Hirose finally seated herself on the couch. "Well, having been trained since little, she might be having a hard time making friends. Especially when she never experienced studying in the same room with a large group of people. I bet there will be the time when she will depend on you, too."

Tobio's brow wrinkled in confusion. He doubted that the idol at issue was facing a difficulty in making friends since she appeared to be a social butterfly, as far as he was concerned. For one, she brought her along to practice one day, not expecting that she would get along with the rest of the team the following day.

Little did he know that he'd developed a bitter feeling toward her because of that.

"I don't think so. She's an idol. People are naturally attracted to her."

"Well, that's one of the perks of being an idol. Or must I say the loss of being one?" Shiori chuckled. "Since she never bothers to expand her circle of friends. Once she's comfortable with someone, she won't leave them alone even for a second, just like a gum stuck to your butt. It happened to her older brother before—my younger brother. My brother, despite his young age, spoiled Akari so much as a grandfather would to his first grandchild. They were inseparable until Akari became a trainee."

"I don't get why you told me all that."

"You could say it's a part of my role as an elder sister." To his surprise, her lips curved into a motherly smile. "She moved into a new place and environment she hasn't been familiar with. Perhaps she's still looking for a butt she can stick gum to."

Before Tobio got a chance to question the metaphor the brunette lady kept on using, she continued. "By the way, Tobio-kun, I've been meaning to ask. Do you play any sports?"

"I'm on the volleyball team. Why did you ask?"

"Oh, perfect timing! The thing is, I run a sports therapy clinic nearby—and yes, before you ask, you've been conversing with a humble orthopedic surgeon here. If you or your teammates suffer any injuries, you know where to go. Oh, here's my business card!" She handed him her business card. "Don't hesitate to come! I'll offer a special discount for any student-athletes!"

That was her intention from the start.

* * *

It was the day of the practice match. Yet, Akari had no reason to show herself there, knowing her presence was either distracting or unwelcomed.

It was the start of the Golden Week. Had she known the weather would turn out pleasantly today, she would've listed down things or places she wanted to visit on her own. Sometimes, going companionless saved the trouble she was about to run into, even if the destination might gather a lot of visitors to the point of making it hard to look around, let alone recognize a lone celebrity among the sea of people.

On a peaceful morning, Akari got called from her sister, requesting a custom knee brace that she carelessly left in the apartment to be delivered to the clinic. The younger sister sighed when she had to pause the series she'd been hooked on lately. Groaning, she jumped out of her bed and headed off.

Shiori's small clinic located near the Sendai City Gymnasium. Whenever there was a game held in the area, she would wait by the front gate as if she was praying that one of the athletes passing by would sprain their ankles during the game. For that reason, she'd never been offered to be the medical line standing by the sideline of the court.

Sincerely speaking, she cared about her patients, not as much as she cared about their wallets, though.

As soon as Akari entered the place, she was greeted by a receptionist she'd never come across with. Despite that, the receptionist didn't waste any time in guiding her to the doctor's office. Akari's gaze wandered around as the receptionist was showing the way, noticing that no patient was waiting in line. The drops of sweats from sprinting paid off at last! She thought.

The receptionist knocked on the door, "Hirose-sensei! Your sister came with the knee brace."

"Finally! Come in, come in!"

The door was ajar, yet the teen idol couldn't spot her doctor sister but a face she couldn't erase from her mind.

"You—Hirose Akari!"

"Namie-san?"

Shiori pulled the curtain sideways before long, revealing an unknown young man rolling out of the bed behind her. "Glad you made it in time!" She eyed her sister from head to toe, questioning her fashion sense. "Is this some kind of disguise?"

Akari looked down at her clothes. A simple plaid shirt paired with a floral-printed long skirt. She'd often been told how disaster of a dresser she was despite endorsing a lot of fashion brands whose products she bestowed on her sister without a second thought. In her defense, the designer collections weren't comfortable enough to suit her high mobility.

"Err, nope." The idol removed her baseball cap. "This is my only disguise."

"You fashion terrorist..." The older Hirose only stared at her sister in disgust. "Anyway, did you bring it?"

The younger sister passed the paper bag, "Here. Hopefully, this is enough to pay off my rent."

"Whoa, Sensei! You weren't joking when you said Hirose Akari is your sister." A honeyed-voice commented. The patient turned out to have a tall figure as he stood straight and brunette hair that was swept outwards, gaze warm despite his cheeky grin.

"Now that you found out, Tooru-kun, I hope you will cooperate not to tell a soul. Please! I want to be known for my competence, not as the idol's sister!"

Akari squinted her eyes in suspicion, " _Liar_... It must be one of your marketing strategies, Onee-chan."

The brunette addressed as Tooru maintained his cheeky grin. "Hmm, maybe I'll consider it if Akari-san's willing to give me her autograph. My nephew is such a big fan. I can't wait to bribe him!"

"If you want her autograph so much, why bother coming all the way here, Tooru-kun? I mean, Namie-chan goes to the same school as her. Karasuno, right? Actually, I'm an alumnus."

Tooru turned to the Karasuno senior and pouted, "Is that true, Namie-chan? You told me it was fake news!"

"We probably never at school," stated Namie, her grey eyes somehow displaying disappointment. "Too bad. Whenever my friends and I walked past the first-year aisle, trying to prove the rumor, we never got the chance to see you. So, we just assumed that the rumor was fake."

Shiori placed her hand on her sister's shoulder, "That's probably because she skipped school a lot."

"Is that so? Cool! I skip school from time to time, too." The older boy winked at her, "Why don't we hang out when you feel like skipping school again? I know cool places, I can show you around."

Shiori shook her head, "Tooru-kun... Not at you obviously flirting with another girl in front of your girlfriend."

Akari's hazel eyes widened in surprise. _Girlfriend? Namie-san is his girlfriend?_ Her gaze shifted toward her senior. _I thought you were dating the director!_

"How dare you!" Namie slapped her boyfriend's arm rather hard before she turned to the older Hirose. "Sensei! You're allowed to hit him, too since he was trying to get your sister under a bad influence!"

"I skipped class a lot, too in the past. But look at me now—an orthopedist!" Shiori boasted, smiling broadly. "I'm just curious, Namie-chan. You've been dating Tooru-kun since middle school, right? How long has it been _—four years._ And knowing how popular Tooru-kun is among girls, boys, and other beings. How are you guys still together?"

"Other beings? Should I be flattered?" Tooru chuckled. "That's because I only lay my eyes on Namie-chan. She's still the prettiest in my eyes, even if a goddess-like Hirose Akari is standing beside her. Well, it could be that because Akari-chan's beauty is out of this world, so she's out of my league."

Namie pinched his arm, "One word. Trust. Trust is the key to every relationship."

_Trust, my butt, you cheater._ The fact that she could project herself as a faithful partner was already sickening. No wonder she was named as the greatest actress among her peers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Polishing the dynamic between Akari and Tobio, I thought 'oh why not making them fight?' Kags is hot-headed while Akari at this state is still emotionally unstable, but let me show you bit by bit the human parts of Hirose Akari--kinda childish and naive. My poor baby... Anyway, I've always imagined her to be the youngest of the family. There you go, the eldest of the Hirose siblings! I had so much fun writing her, probably my favorite supporting character in this story.  
> Ah yeah, so I realized that I might've depicted the idols in Japan wrongly here lol let's just say Akari is under a Korea-based entertainment company (have I mentioned that I kinda got the inspiration from K-pop idols cases?)  
> Finally, the Great King made his first appearance! But it won't be fun if I just introduce him as Tobio's senior from middle school, why not adding a twist? Technically, he's a long-time boyfriend of Akari's archenemy here, Namie from the drama club. Maybe I didn't hint this clear enough, but everyone thinks there's something going on between Namie and Ken (the director). What will Akari do after knowing the fact, I wonder?


	9. The Music Faced

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobio forgets to bring the assignment he worked hard on. Akari feels bad for letting him do all the work and insists to come along to pick up the assignment he left at home. However, after the two successfully restore the assignment, the vice-principal catches them when they are trying to sneak in and makes them pay the penalty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kyoutou-sensei is the way to address the vice-principal in Japanese.

It wasn't the first time he tried to steal a glance at her and looked away as soon as she caught him in the act. Instead of giving her a big head, it sent chills down her spine. Had she mentioned how intimidating his stare was? Otherwise, she wouldn't be camouflaging with a group of girls that was more than content to have her join a conversation she could barely keep up with.

When the other girl was talking, her hazel eyes directed to his broad back, hoping that he would turn around and look in her direction one more time. Be that as it may, he remained still on his seat, head burying in his arms.

"Say, what did you guys prepare for the English presentation? Ichika-san and I made flashcards!"

 _Wait—what? English presentation?_ Why hadn't she heard of this new piece of information yet?

"Akari-chan? Are you okay? Your face looks pale—Akari-chan! Where are you going?"

Akari wasted no time in approaching her partner. As she stood next to his desk with folded arms, she tap her fingers on her arm nervously, unsure whether waking him up was a good idea.

As if she was watching him rise from the dead, her heart almost stopped beating when he flinched, straightening his back subsequently. "What?" He turned to her.

She tried to distract her attention from his fringes stuck to his forehead as a result of a deep nap. "I heard today's presentation day. Did you prepare for anything? Can I see it?"

With half-closed eyes, he pulled his bag to his lap and groped for a piece of paper he'd been losing some sleep to. He unzipped the bag to the end, which allowed her to take a look at the messy insides and wondered how the tips of his fingers were able to recognize a certain piece of paper among the stack of test results he probably had no intention to show to his parents. Not finding the desired paper, he searched through his bag, with his eyes fully opened this time. Getting impatient, he threw out a few books, a pair of volleyball shoes, a water bottle, and even the dirt that had been settled in his bag onto the desk, yet still no sign of the English paper. Without a word, he exited the class, leaving his partner behind in bewilderment.

Around the corner of the corridor, where he was only a turn away from the stairs, Akari's voice from behind stopped him in his tracks.

"Kageyama-kun! Wait for me!" As soon as she caught up to him, she spoke again, raising her voice. "Why were you suddenly running away? Don't tell me—"

Before she got the chance to finish her sentence, the bell roared clamorously in her ear, unaware of the spitting distance that separated them. Once the blaring noise came to a halt, she had to rely on her vision to spontaneously read Tobio's mouth. "Save your questions for later! I left the paper at home and I make sure I'll be back before English class, so stay here while I still owe you an apology!"

"You're going home now? What about class?" Reminded her. "It's all right, Kageyama-kun. I heard not everyone will present today. If Minaho-sensei asks for us to come forward, we'll talk to her to give us a repercussion—"

"It's my fault, Hirose. Let me take responsibility for it."

"I'll come with you." She declared. "I didn't do my part the last time. Let me at least bear the same responsibility as you do."

"Sure, but make sure you don't slow me down."

Not wanting to argue, she only rolled her eyes behind his back. There are 3 types of student at school: a student who pays attention in class, a student who doesn't pay attention, and a student who doesn't attend the class. Tobio was clearly the second type seeing that his day only began once the club activity started, while Akari met the sufficient requirements to be classified as the third type (in her defense, she had her reasons). Thanks to the paparazzi who camped in front of the school in an attempt to pry into her private educational life, which had acquired her the knowledge of the emergency exit that most of the students, even the teachers had no idea about. Sad to say she had to share the secret with Tobio in anticipation of him leading them to the regular exit, which was gained a clear view from the vice principal's office.

The sun rose higher than it usually did. Its heat licked at her exposed skin as sweats started to drench her uniform. She took a break to gasp for air once in a while and Tobio thankfully didn't complain about it when he had warned her in advance. It had only been a couple of months since she announced her hiatus and she had to admit the best part of it were not being required to keep her shape. Having said that, she didn't expect a leisure lifestyle would affect her stamina much—trying to keep up with a volleyball player had left her out of breath and probably sore legs by the next morning.

The Kageyama residence was easy to find. Not only due to its strategic location, but its distinguishable architecture as well. At the crossroads, stood a tall two-story house painted in all white with a modest number of windows—one of them peering through the dining table inside. Before the teen idol saw her way to gaze around and amaze the place, the resident opened the door and crossed the threshold without hesitation.

"Sorry for interrupting!" Exclaimed the recently arrived guest. Her gaze shifted toward the indoor shoes Tobio slipped out and placed recklessly on the mat, unaware that she too forgot to exchange her shoes before they departed. _This asks for trouble…_ She thought to herself, a head shake following that.

The silence had somehow confirmed that nobody was home at the moment, aside from the two intruders. Unable to catch sight of the resident, the teen idol decided to independently guide herself to the living room. Despite the lack of ventilation, she suspected at first, the glass roofs allowed the rays of sunshine to pierce through, offering the room the right amount of light to prevent the occupant from stepping on a Lego, plus an exquisite view of the cloudless blue sky above.

Unlike any other guests that would question the absence of the family portrait in the house, Akari, on the other hand, chose to be immersed in an object she could never reach with the fingertips (the sky that is). Tobio had to cough to bring her around after the tromping act he made met with disaster.

"I found the paper. Let's go." He announced.

"You have a nice home."

"Thanks, my mom's an architect."

It explained everything now. Even if a potentially offensive question flashed through her mind for a split second as to how a brilliant architect would give birth to an aspiring volleyball athlete, she opted to not say anything in the end. There were many other appropriate questions to be asked than the one she had in mind. Regardless of that, she wasn't informed of the limitations of the word 'appropriate' since she'd never marched into a house that wasn't her own before. The poor idol had only spent the 15 years of her life visiting the company building, broadcasting stations, and maybe other public places.

Their return trip felt less nerve-racking now that they had obtained the important assignment or because she had been familiar with the route. For all that her legs might already have felt numb from too much running, she didn't let it show and still tried to keep her pace with him. As much as she found the silence uncomfortable, she didn't utter a word. She had a hard time catching her breath, let alone striking up a conversation.

They arrived at the back entrance of the school, at last, only to find it locked without notice. _How strange._ It hadn't been locked half an hour ago. Without suspicion, the two were left with no options but to sneak in through the main entrance.

Tobio who managed to climb the gate first offered a helping hand to Akari who was still hanging by the gate. He stretched out his hand, "Here, let me help you."

"Where did you go?"

The voice of the vice-principal startled her, causing her to lose her grip on the gate and stumble back. However, instead of her back crashing to the ground, it somehow landed on the vice principal's back. On the other hand, Tobio could only stare at the scenery in awe. The close to perfect timing that had been calculated, even a sacrifice had been made in order to keep a single hair on the widely admired idol's head untouched. At the cost of that, the vice-principal had to let his wig fall to the dirt and his exposed bald head reflected the rays of the sunshine.

" _Kyoutou_ -sensei! Are you okay?" Akari stood up straight as soon as she noticed who had been supporting her weight.

"I'm okay, Hirose-kun. I appreciate your concern." Answered the vice-principal, fixing his wig back as if nothing ever happened. "Now, go back to your class because I still need to have a word with this young man."

"Kyoutou-sensei! We pretend we didn't see anything, so please let both of us go back to the classroom! We have to present next!" She lied.

"Hirose-kun," the vice-principal called, a cynical smile decorated his face. "There's music to be faced when you broke the rule."

"It's not fair, Kyoutou-sensei! I went out with Kageyama-kun to pick up the assignment we left at his house, so it's not only Kageyama-kun who broke the rule. But why did you tell me to go back to class when you wanted to have a word with Kageyama-kun?"

Without realizing, their confrontation had gained more attention than she intended to. Students began to gather by the windows, witnessing the commotion made at the front gate.

"Keep your voice down, Hirose-kun. You don't want this to be heard."

"Why are you letting me off the hook? Is that because I'm a girl? Or because I'm an idol?"

A shout came from above, "That's it! Kyoutou-sensei, stop your favoritism!"

"Girls can be guilty, too! Why only discipline the boys?"

"Kyoutou-sensei! Could you be… a pervert?"

"Enough!" The vice-principal yelled, his face burning with anger. "Now, both of you come to my office! The students who shouted at me, I'll see you in my office as well!"

The lecture lasted more than an hour. It began with the mentions of their parents, how they worked their fingers to the bone in order to enroll them in school. Tobio begged to differ, explaining how grateful he was for his parents' effort by fighting for a piece of paper that had no guarantee of getting assessed right away (since the chances were slim for the teacher to request them to present a lackluster topic). That being said, his attempt at explaining to the vice-principal came to nothing. He already decided the suitable penalty for the rule-breakers regardless of its correlation to the violation, namely assuming all the cleaning duties for a day.

"Now, Kageyama-kun, you may go back to your class, while I still have something more to say to Hirose-kun."

Tobio threw a fleeting glance at the poor idol before he bowed and exited the room at the vice principal's request. Now that only the two of them left, the vice-principal cleared his throat as he began. "Miyamoto-san, the director of your company persuaded me to make an exception of you if you were to take absence from time to time under the excuse of promotional activities. I believe what happened today wasn't related to the promotional activities we agreed on."

"On top of that, Miyamoto-san also asked me to keep tabs on your behavior, Hirose-kun. But you're a student of Karasuno High as well, it's my duty to protect you as my student. I won't let any malicious rumors surround you as much as I don't want to disappoint the director. Now, why don't you cooperate with me and mind your manners as to how an idol should?"

Akari gazed down, her fingers thoughtlessly slid along the hem of her skirt. _Why?_ Every time she experienced something new—something fun, the harsh reality had to interrupt, reminding her that she was an idol and how an idol wasn't allowed to make a fool out of themselves.

As much as she wanted to protest how cruel the world had been treating her, it only struck her at the very last minute that it was her choice—becoming an idol had been a lifetime goal of hers, except that she had achieved it too soon and the reality wasn't as colorful as shown on TV.

It was her fault, to begin with. There was no one else to blame.

"Hirose-kun, are we clear? If so, you may return to the classroom. I also expect you and Kageyama-kun to pay the penalty we discussed earlier."

By the time Akari got to the classroom door, the other group was presenting in front of the class. Without a second thought, she slid the door open and stepped into the room, ignoring every pair of eyes that were directed at her. Her inability to read minds suggested that they might be questioning the lack of courtesy she reflected through her cutting in, but remaining outside until the presentation was over wouldn't cancel out the fact that she challenged the vice-principal openly.

And all of a sudden, the vice principal's screeching voice rang in her ear, _"Hirose-kun, what did I tell you about minding your manners?"_

Before long, another shrill noise sounded throughout the corridors, scattering the thoughts that were almost eating her up.

"That's it for today, I expect the rest of the groups will prepare better for the presentation next week." The English teacher rose from her feet, facing her students. "Oh, I'll announce the groups with the most unique interpretation and best visualization respectively at the end. The winning groups will get bonus points that will be added up to their midterm scores."

The information went in one ear and out the other.

Just when the teen idol was in preparation for getting the cleaning supplies in the storage room, Tobio stood in the doorway.

"Do you need help?" He offered.

As suggested, Akari let her partner experience in being a gentleman for a day by pushing around the cleaning trolley he possibly never knew existed. Just when she was guiding him to push the cart along the corridor, emerged Tsukishima from the next-door classroom, followed by Yamaguchi from behind. He took off his headphones once he spotted his favorite setter.

"Oh, King! Nice carriage you have." The blonde commented. His friend snickered in the back.

"Kei-kun! What a coincidence! Kageyama-kun plays an important role on the team, right? Why don't you help us so that it will save you from trouble?"

Tobio scoffed, "I'd rather wash the toilet than get help from him!"

"Kei-kun! Until when do you plan to pretend that I don't exist?" She glared, hands placed on her hips.

Tsukishima looked around, taken by surprise when he finally locked eyes with the supposed childhood friend. "Oh, look who it is—Akari-chan! I can't believe a celebrity is talking to me! Wait, what? You're telling me that the King won't be able to come to the practice? I'll make sure to pass the information to the senpai then!"

"I never said that—"

The four eyes walked past them, "I look forward to today's practice than anything else!"

"Tsukki! Wait for me!" Exclaimed Yamaguchi. He gave the side-eye before going after his friend, "Good luck, Akari-chan, Kageyama."

"Not you too, Yamaguchi! Didn't you shake my hands the other day ago? How could you do this to me!" Akari whined before turning to Tobio, eyes burning with enthusiasm. "What are you slacking off for, Kageyama-kun? You don't want to miss the practice, do you? We'll start at class 1!"

The task was evenly delegated. Akari sweeping the floor, while Tobio arranging the seats. The students from class 1 were willing to cooperate by going home early. The absence of the loud orange-haired boy also gave an indication of a good start so far.

"Hey, Hirose… What did… what did the vice-principal say to you after I was gone?"

The corner of her lips twitched upward. "Is it mere curiosity or you're actually worried about me, Kageyama-kun?"

"Why does it matter?" He groaned as he pushed the chair roughly until it hit the desk.

Akari stopped sweeping as soon as she noticed the creaking noise, "No need to be so uptight, you know. I was only teasing you."

"How could you look so casual when I've been trying to find my tongue to apologize? I mean, you slammed a door at me the other day ago and after what happened today, I thought I still owed you an apology."

She paused, "It's not your fault, to begin with. If I didn't act like a child that day, you would be able to join the practice on time and not stuck with me doing some cleaning duties…" She gave a wry smile, shrugging her shoulders. "But since you told me to stop apologizing so much, so I thought the least I could do was being my usual easygoing self."

"No, Hirose, it's my fault. I took it all on you and I didn't believe in my team enough. I—I'm sorry…"

"Apology accepted," she beamed. "So, how was the game? Did you win or lose?"

"We still won in the end. Only because the regular setter didn't take part in the first two sets."

"Hmm, the guy whose personality is worse than Kei-kun you said? Is he that great?"

"Hate to admit that, but yeah." A spark of fire glinted in his sapphire eyes, his fists clenched. "I'll beat him and become the best setter in the prefecture next time."

"It just makes me want to see how great he plays. But, is it possible to just watch him play and not interact with him at all? As if Kei-kun didn't give me enough headache already…" She sighed.

"Just ignore him. His serves may make you want to boo the hell out of him, but it'll draw his attention more since he's used to the audience's squeal." Tobio continued, "Now that you mention it, who is this Kei-kun? You mentioned him a lot when we were talking about volleyball."

"Oh, Kei-kun is…" Akari became silent as soon as she came to realize. "Wait. You don't know which Kei-kun I was referring to? Kei is Tsukishima's given name! How could you not know it? He's your teammate!"

"Oh, so that asshole's name is Tsukishima Kei…"

To Tobio's surprise, she burst out laughing. She threw her head back as she laughed hysterically, hand covering her mouth. "Does that mean you called him 'asshole' this whole time? Oh my God, I just can't find a better nickname!"

"No, I never call his name. I never even speak to him if he doesn't provoke me first."

He stared at her in disbelief, unable to make out the funny part that was tickling the teen idol to pieces. For the record, she was still laughing out loud.

"Did my laugh scare the hell out of you? _My bad_. I think I've shown you unpleasant sides of me that will do no good to my reputation as an idol." Her gaze fled to the window, silence falling for a moment. "I really appreciate that you've stayed quiet the whole time, though... I really do. I just hope your opinion of me won't change."

"I don't know anything about idols, Hirose. The only band I listen to is Burnout Syndromes, but if you ask me, I don't know the names of the members. So, let me just speak to you using my favorite volleyball player as an example. His name is Bruno Rezende, a player from Brazil, he plays setter as well. Let's just say he goes into our school and joins the volleyball team. Since we're on the same team, I will be able to watch him play closely. Apart from the daily dozen, I'll notice every little thing he does, not excluding his bad habits. What if he picks his nose while practicing? I don't mind. As long as he doesn't stick his booger to one of the balls. Does it make me think less of him? _Nope_. Nose-picking is human. I admire him because of his skills, and not because of his reputation for not having his nose pick."

This conversation suddenly reminded her of her sister… Only Shiori would use the nastiest unimaginable example to back up her argument. She deep down wished that Tobio wouldn't have to cross paths with her sister someday.

"Hmm, so, if one day you do catch him picking his nose, you won't drop him?"

"I would be more concerned if he admitted that he never picked his nose before…"

She let out a giggle, "Now that I know bad habits such as nose-picking won't make you stop supporting your favorite athlete, I'm more confident about being myself in front of others. Thank you, Kageyama-kun. Really."

"Well, 'thank you' sounds a lot better coming from your mouth." He mumbled.

"Did you say something?"

"Nothing." Tobio denied. "Come to think of it, maybe you shouldn't take my advice seriously. I'll probably be speechless if I caught Bruno picking his nose in the middle of a match. I just can't imagine you picking your nose while performing on the stage."

"I bet you never even watch a concert before. I can't believe you assumed the Burnout Syndromes was an idol group! Maybe I should show you a list of idol groups to stan in order to turn you into a _wota_. Why not start with the Pink Panthers? I heard they're amazing!"

"Can they do jump serves? If not, sorry to say that I'm not interested."

The grounded students managed to wrap up their cleaning duties before the night fell, ahead of the closed gate's time but still behind schedule for the volleyball practice. Tobio tried to break into the gym until Daichi caught him in the act and sent him home.

In the evening, just before Tobio went to bed. He felt like he still had too much energy not to be wasted in trying to fall asleep, hence he decided to kill time by watching clips of volleyball matches on YouTube. When they were highlighting the most important moment in a slow-motion, a promoted ad had to cut in, playing the latest music videos of the Pink Panthers. The skip ad button had appeared, but he was convincing himself to appreciate the uploader's generosity by not skipping the ad (and maybe doing some research so that he could relate more to his idol friend in the future). As soon as the song reached the chorus, he found himself nodding his head to the beat. And by the time the song came to an end, he had to furrow his eyebrows. _That's it?_ He didn't even get to hear Akari's actual singing voice!

He couldn't believe he closed a volleyball match video for another video that was unrelated to volleyball at all. At first, he only checked out another music video to make fun of her at the next opportunity, but he ended up listening to the whole discography and lost track of time until the sun had risen.

Instead of the alarm sound, the first thing he heard in the morning was the line from the chorus of Pink Panther's most popular song.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Doesn't quarantine make time fly faster than usual? I thought I was doing a good job with my updating pace, but turns out I only posted once every two weeks... oh well. Why did I make Kags' mom an architect you asked? Just because! Whenever Furudate let us sneak a peek of Kags' room, I always assume that he always has a nice home, judging from his well-designed room alone. And since they never show Kags' parents (not that they show other characters' parents besides Ushijima), I imagine Kags might have busy parents. All I can say that in this chapter, their relationship only started to develop. With Kags trying to open Akari's mind when he himself sucks at expressing himself lol Shiori really taught him well. But Akari will persist in being mysterious for now. She will still keep things to herself. She doesn't even notice that the Tooru she met was the same guy as the guy with worse personality than Tsukki. I'd like to elaborate the relationship between Akari and her so-called childhood friend more in the next chapter or further!
> 
> Ah, right. What song or concept comes to mind when I mentioned Pink Panthers? Hmm, I originally had SNSD's gee (Japanese ver.) in mind. But I'm open to more ideas!
> 
> Last but not least, a shout out to montblanc_96 for leaving a heartfelt comment! Keep 'em coming <3


	10. An Offer One Cannot Refuse (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akari admires the third-year who serves as the manager of the volleyball club, yet the said manager pays little heed to the idol on hiatus. It doesn't bother her at first. Girls always eye her with jealousy, after all, and she's gotten used to that. Until the mysterious beauty talks to her and makes an offer she can't refuse.

The first thing Akari noticed was that Tobio had been acting strangely toward her. For instance, he was always startled when she called him, resembling a student who got caught dozing off by their teacher in the middle of a class. 

Did he still take issue with her not apologizing? She doubted that. His genuine smile the other day ago made himself clear that they had buried the hatchet!  _ What else then? _

_ “Hirose! What are you doing here?” _ The setter’s pupil dilated in horror when he caught sight of the teen idol stepping into the gym. This time, his impression of her had degraded from a teacher to a ghost.

_ “No worries, I only stop by to congratulate the team. I promise I won’t get in the way of the practice!”  _ She walked past him, their shoulders brushing against each other. As she found her way to the corner of the gym where the familiar faces gathered, stretching their muscles, she waved her hand.  _ “Hi, everyone! I heard you did great on your last practice match, so I believe congratulations are in order! But plain congratulations are so boring! I’d like to express it in a more concrete way. What do you guys think? Do you guys want me to perform a song? Treat you to some nice meals? I’m open to more ideas as long as it’s fun and involves everyone!” _

_ “I can’t believe Hirose Akari just asked me to hang out with her! Anyone! Pinch my cheek to prove it’s not only a dream!”  _ Tanaka exclaimed dramatically.

Without hesitation, Tsukishima fulfilled the shave-headed teen’s request.  _ “Wake up, Tanaka-san. Hirose Akari isn’t just asking you to hang out with her. She’s talking to everyone, but I don’t mind being excluded.” _

_ “Really, Akari-san? You’ll do anything for us?”  _ Sugawara, the vice-captain stood up so that he was on the same eye level as the teen idol.

_ “Yes. But as long as it’s not crossing the line, of course.” _

_ “Hmm, is handling Nishinoya considered out of line?” _

_ “Suga-san, that’s mean…” _ Commented the others.

All of a sudden, a presumed lost middle school student burst the door open, revealing a fairly built figure despite his growing height. His wild dark hair was styled upward, challenging gravity and giving an extra insole on the head at once. He wore a plain loose white shirt instead of his uniform, which might give trouble to the people who were trying to help him return to his original habitat. 

_ “Is it true the volleyball club has finally gained the popularity it deserves? I still don’t see girls line up to enter.” _ The lost boy placed one of his hands on his hip, the other carrying the same black jacket that was worn by the male students of Karasuno High.  _ Wait. He’s a high school student all along?! _

_ “Suga-san! You were lying to me?” _

_ “Nishinoya! About time you came back!”  _ Sugawara turned to the teen idol nervously,  _ “No, of course not! We might not have girls line up in front of the gym yet, but look who decided to join us today, Hirose Akari! Isn’t one Hirose Akari enough to outshine a line of girls?”  _

_ “A thousand times yes! Oh, God. I still can’t believe my eyes…” _ The boy named Nishinoya rubbed his eyes.  _ “What is she doing here, Suga-san? You didn’t just kidnap her, did you?” _

_ “Isn’t it obvious? She came to watch us practice! To tell you the truth, she’s been coming every day only to watch us practice. She’s been charmed with our play!”  _ Sugawara nudged Akari and whispered to her.  _ “Hey, I know this is too sudden, but can you play along with me? He’s a big fan of yours and it’ll boost his motivation to know that he’s been noticed by his favorite idol.” _

_ “Um, sure? I’m great at faking enthusiasm, but at least brief me the situation first. I don’t want to risk blowing your cover.” _

_ “He’s our Guardian Deity who just got back from suspension. If the term still seems incomprehensible, just call him ‘Senpai’, it’ll send him on cloud nine.”  _

_ “Easy-peasy.  _ Wait a minute.  _ Senpai?! He’s older than me?” _

_ “Akari-san, keep your voice down! Nishinoya might have a suspicion!” _

It all started with a request to stay for a session and she told herself that she wouldn’t get involved as much. But then, as if the circumstances left the door slightly ajar on purpose, she couldn’t help but have a peek. Who would turn around when the volleyball had been welcoming her with open arms? Unlike the girls from her class that only thought of her as a celebrity gossip mill or a beauty guru, the volleyball team didn’t falter to scream the curse words out loud whether they were in delight or in pain. They weren’t putting on a false front when she was around them and she appreciated it.

For all that she had only been joining them for a few days, she was confident that she got along with everyone well enough. Thanks to the volleyball team’s distinguishable appearances, it took her only a day to be able to not confuse Tanaka with Narita and Ennoshita with Kinoshita (in terms of the rhyme of their surnames).

Ever since she had a petty fight with Tobio, she also learned not to interfere when the practice was in progress. Although Hinata never failed to tickle her funny bones whenever he got on Tobio’s nerves. Sometimes, Tanaka would also come to her for a forceful high five as soon as he thought he made a cool move. When the practice was completely over, Daichi didn’t leave her out of their ritual walking home and treated her a meat bun from the Sakanoshita Store as if she was one of the kids that he made run around the neighborhood.

There was someone from the team that she barely interacted with, Shimizu Kiyoko, the manager, that is.

Until one day, when Akari was watching the boys practice from the usual spot, the widely-known beauty approached her and stumbled over her words,  _ “Um, Hirose-chan? Do you like volleyball?” _

_ “I began to like it. Why is that, Senpai?” _

_ “Are you interested in becoming a manager? I’m in my third year of high school, so I’m looking for a new manager that will take care of the team once I graduate. If you’re interested, I can teach you everything you need to know.” _

Akari was used to other girls giving her the cold shoulder, assuming that they were only jealous of her. However, it didn’t seem to apply to Kiyoko. The moment Akari heard the manager’s soothing voice, she was convinced of how much sincerity and effort Kiyoko put into the club to pay a little heed to the idol’s presence. When the team was practicing hard, she had to observe and take notes of the team’s performance and when the team was resting, she had to rush off her feet to pass the water bottles to the exhausted players. Kiyoko’s role wasn’t less important or cooler than the rest of the players on the court, except that not everyone would be able to realize that.

It got her thinking. If she were to accept the offer to become the manager in training, would she be able to measure up to the current manager?

On a quiet ride home in the van, the thought of asking for the hands-on manager’s opinion crossed her mind.

“Takagaki-san, can I ask you a question?”

“I’ve cleared all your schedule for this month, Akari-chan. I had to massage the boss’s stiff shoulders while persuading him.” Replied her manager, eyes still looking straight at the road.

“That’s not the answer I’m looking for, but thank you.”

“What is it then? Ask away.”

She hesitated as she put her concern into words, “Is being a manager hard? I was just wondering…”

“The hardest part of being a manager is to deal with the hormonal imbalances of 5 teenage girls, which sums up the whole job description. I might have said it too late, but  _ no offense _ .” Answered the man in his early 30s, occasionally maintaining eye contact with the passenger through the rearview mirror.

“You know what? The hormonal imbalances are caused by the diet and stress that  _ you _ and the agency constantly put us on—”

“But do you have any idea about the best part of being a manager? Seeing you girls shine on the stage. Every time I see you girls perform on the stage; it feels like all the hard work I put into has been paid off.” Takagaki added, “Ha. Got ya! You just wouldn’t let me finish my sentence, would you? All I can say is being a manager has its fair portion of hardship and pleasure. It depends on how you see things.”

Looking back on it, Takagaki had become the manager of Pink Panthers for almost 5 years. He took care of the group’s schedule (both individuals and as a whole), minced the director’s words so that they wouldn’t hurt the girls’ feelings, drove the girls from one place to another, and sometimes, stepped into the girls’ personal lives if he had to. Despite how much he had done for the group, Akari, for one, had never shown her gratitude to him except the formalities and she felt bad about it. Why did it only hit her now?

“Why are you asking that all of a sudden, Akari-chan? Do you want to exchange roles with me? You become the manager and I become a part of Pink Panthers?”

“Brilliant idea as always, Takagaki-san. I’m thrilled to see you rock a flared miniskirt while dancing!” Akari touched her chin, wondering. “Come to think of it, Takagaki-san, why did you become our manager?”

“Is this the National Interviewing Takagaki’s Day? I’ll answer every question you have, but in return, you’ll have to give me a serious answer after this.” Takagaki suggested. “Because I was desperate for money. My girlfriend of 9 years threatened to break up with me if I didn’t purpose to her. So, that’s that.”

“Hmm, it doesn’t add up. I thought you and your wife only dated for 7 months before you got married a year ago?”

“I was talking about my ex, Akari-chan. We broke up at last.” Clarified the older man. “Anyway, don’t tell my wife I dated my ex for 9 years, I excluded the 2 years of our long-distance relationship’s time.”

Takagaki had his own reason to get the job and carry out the responsibilities of it and it had nothing to do with his liking for music. It gave enough proof somehow that she wasn’t obliged to enjoy volleyball to become the manager of the club. Be that as it may, she still hadn’t found any reason why she desired to become the manager, except that she didn’t have the heart to say no to Kiyoko whom she recently met and admired.

“Well, the first time and the last time I came across your wife were on your wedding day, so your secret’s supposedly safe with me.”

“Lucky me.” He announced. As the red light lit up, Takagaki treaded on the brake carefully and made the car gradually came to a halt. In due course, he rotated his position slightly so that it allowed him to come face to face with her. “My turn now. I bet you already knew what I’m going to ask you. How much time do you still need for the hiatus to last?”

The teen idol heaved a sigh, “My therapist told me to take a hiatus, Takagaki-san. I’ve been enjoying it so far… I’m afraid I won’t have any intention to come back at all.”

* * *

Akari might not have given her answer to Kiyoko, but it didn’t shrink her from coming to the practice as much as how shameless she might appear. But she heard the volleyball team would be having a practice match against some friends of the new coach and Nishinoya, the so-called Guardian Deity of Karasuno’s would be participating as well, hence she couldn’t wait to be the judge whether the nickname suited him or not (as if a girl who never played volleyball before could talk).

She was cheering for the team on the side of the court before the blonde coach brought in the opposing team as he blew the whistle, indicating that the practice match was about to begin. Just when the two teams were discussing as to how the teams should be divided since the other team looked like they were short of members, Kiyoko came to her with a reluctant look.

“Hey, Hirose-chan. I know you haven’t accepted the role of being the manager yet. But can I ask you a favor? I don’t know if I can ask anyone for this…”

The younger girl blinked twice, unsure if she heard her correctly. The independent Shimizu-senpai just asked for her help. “Sure, Senpai. How can I help you?”

“Err, you know, the tasks of a manager are varied, including taking notes of the players’ performance and meeting their needs. The thing is… I’m running out of hand. I’m sorry. I know you came here to watch them play, but can you lend me a helping hand? I would really appreciate it, though.”

Akari gave a wry laugh, “Of course! In fact, I’m happy to help! It always feels wrong for me to sit around while you were busy doing everything on your own.”

_ Nope. I lied. I’m not ready yet. I want nothing more than enjoying the practice match in peace. _

“Are you sure? Thank you so much, Hirose-chan! You’re a big help!” Kiyoko held out Akari’s hands full of hopes. “No need to worry! I won’t let you do everything on your own! We’ll divide the tasks evenly, okay?”

It was the moment when she finally understood why Tanaka and Nishinoya would go crazy when Kiyoko was smiling. In fact, she rarely smiled, but when she did, people would fight for it because of how precious it looked.

“Just tell me what to do, Senpai. I won’t disappoint you.”

“That’s very sweet of you, Hirose-chan! Okay, one will stay in the gym, taking notes of the play while flipping the scoreboard. The other will have to go outside to wash the bottles and fill them with the electrolyte sports drink I prepared in the cooler jug. Which one are you willing to do?”

Akari paused, thinking to herself. She badly wanted to stay inside and watch the game, but on the other hand, she had no idea of how the game works and was too afraid of messing up. Washing the bottles seemed to be a safer option if she were to keep her promise with Kiyoko not to let her down, but the sink was at the back of the gym where the sun would burn her alive with its merciless heat. 

Then again, she believed she was a lady of her word.

“I’ll go wash the bottles.” The younger girl went to the cooler jug beside the entrance. “Senpai, is this the sports drink? I’m taking it!”

“Thank you once again, Hirose-chan!” Exclaimed the manager. “Can you carry it on your own? It’s quite heavy!”

“I’m good!” Was all Akari said before she disappeared behind the door.

First things first, she put down the cooler jug that weighed half of her body next to the sink and tossed the empty yellow bottles into the sink. As she turned on the faucet and let the running water rinse the bottles, she uncapped them without thinking, only realizing that she had gotten the lids mixed and might cause a streak accident of indirect kisses at the end of the day. A part of her wanted to doubt that the owners would become aware of their unmatched bottle, but another part of her couldn’t help but hold Kiyoko in higher regard— _ how could she be able to recognize even the bottles of each player _ ?  _ From the bite on the mouthpiece? _

She didn’t open the faucet fully on purpose so that it wouldn’t hinder her from following the on-going match solely by its noise. Although she had to admit the loudest sound that she could hear was the screeching sound made by the players’ shoes. Nevertheless, overhearing a conversation of other students was never planned on her agenda.

“Ken! I finally found you.” Announced the girl who recently arrived, a loud panting coming after. “Is this your hiding place whenever we have a fight?”

“Not everything revolves around you, Namie.” The other boy sighed. “You caught me. Do you know why I came here often? Because this is the only spot that is free from CCTV surveillance.”

_ Ken and Namie?  _ What a  _ small _ school she went to!

“And you’re smoking. I thought you said you stopped.”

Ken fell silent, “I can’t help it. Nothing seems to be working out in my life. I keep revising the script because it’s still crap. The freshman who was given the opportunity to play as the lead just quitted without notice. And you’re still seeing that ungrateful bastard…”

“I’ll break up with him. Just give me more time, Ken… We’ve been dating for so long. It’s not right to just end things without letting him know the real reason. I still need more time to muster up the courage…”

“Still talking about the right thing bullshit, huh? Did you consider cheating the right thing then?” He breathed in and emitted smoke. “I doubt you care about your boyfriend at all, Namie. Let’s be honest, you only care about yourself! Let’s just stop seeing each other. Even if you break up with him, I don’t think it will work out for us.”

“Right. I’m a selfish bitch. I can’t let go of both of you, but I need you  _ more _ , Ken. Because I love you.”

Akari could only snort in disgust unless she had to suppress it not to get herself caught.  _ Because she loves him, huh? _ Was it convincing enough to make him stay? As if she never used the same excuse to her long-time boyfriend she cheated on.

“Prove it.”

She didn’t have to witness with her very own eyes, but she could quite envision what happened next. The sound of the lips crashing and sucking air in.  _ Oh, Ken-san... _ The teen idol shook her head.  _ For a guy who’s wearing glasses, you sure are dumb. And blind. _

“Hirose-chan, is everything alright? The first set’s almost over—”

Caught by surprise, Akari accidentally bumped into the cooler jug that she placed on the corner of the surface and knocked it down until it spilled its guts, splashing to her uniform even.

Kiyoko appeared behind her, “Hirose-chan, what took you so long?”

“Senpai! I’m so sorry! How can I make this up?” Her voice trembling, a line of sweats dripping her temple. “Oh! Do they sell sports drinks at the convenience store? I’ll check them out!”

Without hearing what the manager had to say, Akari ran off as fast as her legs could carry her. She was too ashamed to face her right now. At the front gate, she chanced upon an unexpected familiar face on her way.

“Akari-chan? Do you happen to know where Namie-chan is?”

It was her sister’s patient who she came across at the clinic. Namie’s boyfriend!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How's everyone doing? I hope you're doing fine! So, here's the update. I feel like I only wrote this like a few days ago but it turns out a few weeks. Doesn't time fly quicker during quarantine? Move on to the update--not much of Kags and Akari moment, and Tobio was behaving strange at the start(?) well, that's the consequence of getting to know the idol culture lol let's say he's still shocked. This fic also turns out to be more OC-centric than I expected? Well, I love everyone in HQ. Including the girls! Can't wait until Yaachi makes an official appearance (lol I kept saying she would but I haven't introduced her yet) can anyone guess who's the character at the end? It's very obvious, though lmao do you expect him to catch his cheating girlfriend in the act? Hmm, not so fast. As long as I'm the author of this fic, I won't have the characters get what they want instantly! Enjoy the slow burn~

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my first Haikyuu fanfic! I hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> And happy new year, peeps!


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